The Rogue in Hiding
by jlcleaumus
Summary: Anakin, Padme AU Five years after Phantom Menace Anakin runs away from the Jedi to Naboo
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars etc.

The Rogue in Hiding

Summary: AU-Five years after Phantom Menace Anakin runs away from the Jedi

This is a story idea that's been bugging for awhile now. This chapter is a very short one and just the beginning of the whole plot. I plan this to be a somewhat extensive Saga with four parts to it. The Rogue in Hiding is just part one. Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 1

Queen Amidala had a few moments to herself. It was a rare occasion when she let the burdens of her office fade to the back of her memory so that she could enjoy being young for once. She wandered along the creek listening to the sounds of the birds and the crickets. Every few steps she would crouch down and gently feel the cool water of Spring glide gracefully over her hand. Alas, this vacation was to be short-lived. It was a lovely place, but the Royal Gardens are still within the great Palace of Theed, and Queen Amidala still had to go over the latest bills.

It was a relatively slow era to be the Queen of Naboo though. The major reconstruction work following the Trade Federation invasion was mostly finished thanks to her nonstop efforts that past five years. The people were content, regarding their peace as an exquisite jewel no longer to be taken for granted again. Relations between the Naboo and the Gungans had never been better as members of the two species slowly diffused into each other's worlds.

There was still work to be done, she knew. Things may seem peaceful now, but their peace must be achieved through constant maintenance. She could not sit back and watch another crisis tear apart her world. Preparation was…

"Your Highness." An aide walked into the room.

"Korta, what is the matter?" Somewhere deep within her heart she trembled.

"There is a man here to see you."

"Who is it?"

"I do need to know. He says he knows you." Korta's eyes were blank as he seemed to be reciting his lines. "He is here to see you."

The situation seemed very suspicious. "Thank you. Tell the guest to wait outside and I will meet him momentarily."

"As you wish Your Highness."

Queen Amidala reached under her desk and found her tiny blaster. She hid it inside her dress and cautiously walked outside into the lobby. There was a man hidden in a cloak with his back to her. Korta was gone and Amidala wasn't pleased. How could he leave her unprotected in the presence of a stranger, a stranger he shouldn't even have let in this deep into the Palace in the first place.

The cloaked figure spoke without turning in a deep voice that seemed feigned. "Your Highness, I came to see you."

"Then why don't you turn around so I can see your face." She readied herself to grab her blaster and wondered if anyone would be able to hear her screams for help.

"Padme, you don't need that blaster. I'm not going to hurt you." His voice was softer now. Higher, and more vulnerable. He turned around and the hood dropped.

"Why did you address me as Padme?" He was only a kid, barely into his mid-teens, Padme thought. His blue eyes sparkled with an intense sadness. His hair was short except for the long braid hanging on the side. He was oddly familiar…"Anakin?"

A soft smile crept onto his face and Padme knew she had guessed right. Unknowingly she reached for the Japor Pendant still hanging from her neck.

"You still have that?"

"Of course I do. How could I not wear the necklace given to me by my future…" _husband. _She couldn't say that now. It was a joke from a long time ago, made by a little kid. The kid was grown now. As she ran up to him and the two old friends embraced each other for the first time in five years, she realized how much he had grown. He was slightly taller than her now, and still growing. How old was he now? She did the math in her head.

Anakin Skywalker clung to his angel. He never wanted to let go. He was taller than her now, he realized, but he still felt like a little kid in her presence. A little kid clinging to his protector, his last hope.

She finally released him from the embrace and spoke. "This is quite the surprise, Ani. A pleasant one, but still a surprise. How'd you get here? And where's your master," she reached into her memory, "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Um, Master Kenobi is still back on Coruscant. I've got some time to myself. The Jedi are letting me take a little vacation."

She knew he wasn't telling the truth, but there seemed to be a desperate reason for it so she didn't inquire further. _He will tell me when he is ready._ "How'd you manage to get past the guards and convince Korta to let you in?"

"Jedi tricks," he grinned mischievously, and the sadness disappeared from his face for a brief second. "Works on the weak-minded."

"Well, I guess I learned something new about my aide today then. Do you Jedi know of any tricks to strengthen your minds?"

"Meditation maybe, but that's really boring stuff."

"Wow Anakin, I can never imagine you being bored," said Padme with a playful look. She had always remembered that little boy who was fascinated by everything in the galaxy.

"I'm bored because they're _chores_ the Jedi make me do, and they prevent me from doing what I need to do, seeing who I need to see."

He had a very distant look in his eyes as he spoke. His eyes looked not at her but beyond her in what seemed to be a vast wasteland of despair. She realized that she had a lot of catching up to with her old friend.

"Come on Ani, let's get out of here. I've had enough of Queen-business for today and I want to hear all about what you've been up to these last five years." She grabbed his hand and gave him a subtle tug and Anakin assented to her request silently, his mind still lost in the deepest voids of space.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for your kinds review, riderazzo. And yes, I'm still working on shroud. The next chapter should be done by tonight or tomorrow.

Chapter 2

They gathered in a small, dilapidated hut faraway in the Nubaya Mountains of the planet. Some of them were fugitives. Some of them used to roam among the elite of Naboo. Some of them still did. As diverse their backgrounds and motives were, all of them shared a singular hatred and a common malevolent goal.

"It is decided then," stated the leader of the group in a monotone voice. "The Queen must die, and her government must be eradicated." He was a tall human of around forty, obviously a man of the higher classes as he spoke with the all the resolve of offended dignity.

"I most certainly second that notion," exclaimed another. "I will no longer submit to the rule of a child! And to make matters worse, a little girl!"

"She broke up my gambling ring! The nerve of her…" a ruffian chimed out.

"And the Gungans, running around like this is their planet. Just the sight and sound of them makes me want to gag!" Another rich aristocrat.

The chatter went on as each member of the group gave vent to their ills and grievances. No one bothered to listen to one another, and it was not important anyway. Nothing of importance was being said.

A lone figure sat apart from the crowd seated around the table. He was not one of the group, but without him they would have nothing. These people would talk and plan and conspire, but none of them actually had the gall to go through with their wild schemes and fantasies. That was why the world needed mercenaries. That was why Jango Fett was able to make a living in the galaxy. So that the true scum would keep their hands clean and delude their consciences.

* * *

"Do you think he is a threat, Knight Kenobi?"

As he listened to those harsh words Obi-Wan Kenobi felt apprehension towards the Jedi Council for the first time in his life. Fear, even. They were talking about his Padawan. His failure. He had failed as both a Jedi and a Master.

"No, Master Windu, I do not believe that my Padawan is a threat. He is just a boy, for Sith's Sake!"

"A boy with power beyond comprehension and a lightsaber," reminded Plo Koon. "He is highly unstable and has already done much damage on Tatooine."

"Heard back from Master Ki-Adi Mundi, we have not," proclaimed Yoda from his seat on the council. "Feel his presence in the Force, I do not."

"Surely you don't accuse a fourteen year old Padawan of killing a Jedi Master," asked Obi-Wan with an incredulous attitude that bore traces of his old Master Qui-Gon.

"We only know the facts, Master Kenobi," replied Mace Windu with an intimidating glare. "As of now Padawan Anakin Skywalker is to be considered a rogue Jedi. He is a potential threat and must return to our custody."

"He is a confused boy who's been having nightmares about his mother," argued Obi-Wan. "If this council had not been so strict in keeping him away from her, we wouldn't even be in this situation in the first place!"

"The code we must follow, Master Kenobi, through the course of every Padawan's training," stated Yoda, unmoved by the passionate argument by the man standing before him. "Loosen his attachments we must, in order to keep him away from the Dark Side."

"I fear that our efforts will only result in driving him towards that path. He's different, Master Yoda. Surely you can see that!"

"This argument serves no purpose," interrupted Mace harshly. "Not until we have apprehended Skywalker. Master Kenobi, it is the will of the Council that you and Master Gallia go to Tatooine. Find your Padawan and bring him back to the Temple through whatever means and find out what happened to Master Mundi."

Obi-Wan bowed silently and left the Council Chambers knowing that he was treading on thin ice. Why did the Council demand that one of its own accompany him to find a fourteen-year-old boy? _For oversight_, he concluded. _They want to keep tabs on me, on the training of my Padawan. They want to see where I went wrong. I don't even know where I went wrong. Maybe that's the problem._

* * *

They walked in comfortable silence through the hallways of the Royal Palace until they found their way to a balcony overlooking the waterfalls. Padme desperately wanted a conversation with Anakin but he seemed simply content with situation for the time being. He was holding back something, she thought to herself. Something painful. Should she ask and try to help him? Would she even be able to?

"Don't worry about me, milady. I'm content. Your presence is soothing."

She glanced up at him in shock. It was as if he had just read her mind. But then, she reminded herself, he is a Jedi. "Thanks, Ani. I don't know what to say." She didn't know where to start.

"You can say anything you want to. Or you can not say anything at all. I don't want to impose on you or make you uncomfortable." His face betrayed no emotions. Padme examined him and her eyes to his Padawan braid. She ran her fingers down the intricately woven piece of hair.

"How is your training going? Is Obi-Wan a good teacher?" She knew that she could be treading on a touchy subject but was amazed to see her friend's face scrunch into an expression of unending pain and…hatred? Almost as quickly as he had lost it he regained his composure and his Jedi stoicism. Everywhere except for his blue eyes.

"The Jedi and Master Obi-Wan weren't what I expected them to be. And I don't think they are happy with my progress. I'm not turning to be the Jedi I should be, or maybe not the Jedi they _want_ me to be."

"I don't see how that is possible, Ani. I remember everyone talking about how powerful you were, how much potential you had." She noticed tears running down his cheeks. She didn't know how her words were causing them so she tried to reminisce about more pleasant memories.

"You saved our entire planet, Anakin. You were the hero of Naboo and you still are." She turned back into the palace with an excited sparkle in her eye. "In fact, this planet needs a celebration for its greatest hero." She didn't expect Anakin to pull her back, nor did she expect that desperate look in his eyes to still be there.

"You flatter me, Padme." Strangely, she didn't object him calling her by her real name. "All I did was get lucky. I don't deserve any celebrations in my honor. I couldn't even save…" He couldn't finish his sentence and instead turned his gaze outside.

"Anakin, you've been so distant ever since you arrived here. What's wrong?" He waited for what seemed like hours before he decided on an answer.

"Everything, Padme. Everything. Except for you." His eyes truly met hers for the first time as he said that. Padme felt a strange shivering feeling crawling up her spine.

"I'm so sorry Anakin, for whatever that's happened," she said, closing the distance between them. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Stay here and watch the waterfall with me, Padme," he pleaded. "Please. I have not seen beauty like it for a long time." She inched herself beside him and gently put her arm around his shoulders, comforting him. The two of them gazed at the scenery before them. _The water is always in motion_, he thought. _Always running, always changing, until it finally finds its true home._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Anakin had been in Theed for two days now. There were plenty of extra rooms in the Palace and Padme had found one for him. She recalled with delight at how Anakin had been amazed by the size of his room. The next morning he said that he had never had such a comfortable night of sleep in a bed that large.

The two of them didn't get to see each other that often. The Queen worked from morning to night, and Anakin usually kept to himself in his room. She had her handmaidens check on him throughout the day, and they usually reported back to her that Anakin was either meditating on the floor or staring out the window. Padme herself had peeked into his chambers on a few occasions and found a blindfolded Anakin in the middle of saber practice. She marveled at how fast he moved to defend himself from the training droids, but he quickly sensed her presence and shifted his attention to her.

The two friends had a few moments to themselves when Padme insisted on dining with her friend. The conversation was mostly one-sided; Anakin asked Padme about everything, her life, her work, her family, and he absorbed every word she said like it was a Holy Gospel, but he never said a word about himself.

Padme was growing impatient over her inability to communicate with her old friend, but what caused her more frustration was the fact that Anakin was clearly hurting and would not allow her to help him. Normally she despised the official social duties that as Queen she was obligated to attend, but she hoped that the event coming up that night posed an opportunity for her to pluck Anakin out of his shell.

"There is a ball in the palace tonight. It is a minor function, basically a setting for the socialites to nit-pick at each other. Of course, my presence is required, and I would like someone to keep me company. I usually want to fall asleep during these inane events."

Anakin looked up from his meal with the expression of eager innocence that Padme had missed so much. "Really? You want me to come?"

"Of course I want you to come! I missed my old friend Anakin Skywalker. I haven't seen him in five years, you know, and I'm wondering whatever became of him."

"What do you mean," asked a confused Anakin. "I've been here for two days."

"And you haven't said a word about what's been obviously bothering you. What's wrong, Anakin? Please tell me. I won't judge you. Let me help you, Anakin, I want to help."

Both of them were shocked at her outburst, though Anakin felt guilt and dismay over Padme's frustrations. "I'm sorry, Padme. I never meant to cause you any problems. It'd be best if I leave." He reluctantly got up but her words stopped him from moving further.

"But you don't have anywhere to go," she protested softly. She had long figured it out. Padme walked over to Anakin and grabbed his hand softly. "I know the Jedi don't know you're here, Anakin."

"So you've already talked to them." Anakin stared at the floor.

"No!" Padme took Anakin's chin with her other hand and lifted his head up. "Anakin, look at me!" He did. "Trust me, Anakin. I figured it out by myself, and I will not tell anyone you're here if you don't want me to."

"Thank you." Anakin did not feel the need to question her sincerity. If Padme said it then it was invariably true. "That means I can't go to the ball, you know. Someone might recognize me."

"Ani, the people of Naboo only remember a sweet little boy. They won't know what you look like now."

"True, but what if someone inquires about my identity?"

Padme drifted into thought. "How about this? You can be a distant cousin of mine, from Alderaan."

"Cousin? You didn't intend for me to be your date?" Padme could tell Anakin's disappointment. She hoped she hadn't given him the wrong idea.

"Oh Ani," she paused, trying to think of the right words to say while monitoring the look on Anakin's face. "You've always been dear to my heart, Ani, and I care for you a lot."

"I love you, Padme. I have dreamed about you everyday for the last five years. You are the reason I get up every morning, the last reason I have to live."

Padme found her knees weakening as she found herself a chair. She did not take her eyes off of Anakin. She had long known that Anakin probably still harbored some form of crush on her, but she did not expect it to have developed to this extent. His intense voice did not make any attempts to betray his emotions, and his tortured tone suggested that he had long wanted to tell her this. Padme looked into his intense eyes and saw a man firm in his convictions.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, sensing her discomfort. "I shouldn't have said that. You don't have to say anything, Padme."

"No, Anakin. I don't know how to react to what you told me right now, but I'm glad you said what you said. Anakin, I don't want there to be any secrets between us."

Knowing what she was inferring, he quickly changed the topic. "Are you going to have an elaborate headdress tonight?"

"Yeah, why," asked Padme, puzzled over why Anakin suddenly took an interest in her hair.

Anakin reached into his tunic and took out a tiny object. Upon closer examination, it was a hairpin, except it had several glowing gemstones on it. Padme saw that there were several shades of blue, green, yellow, and purple.

"Sabe gave me a weird look when I asked her for a hairpin," Anakin said as he offered the said object to Padme. She took the hairpin and marveled at its radiance. "I attached several crystals to it, the crystals that we made our lightsabers with."

"Thank you, Anakin, but I'm not sure if I can take this."

"Please, Padme, I insist on it. Accept it as a token of my gratitude for the hospitality you've shown me."

He edged closer to her, took the hairpin from her hands, and started braiding it into her hair. Padme wanted to protest but Anakin spoke first.

"The crystals are strong in the Force. They'll keep you safe."

He finished his work and a very unnerved Padme got up to leave. She was surprised at herself for letting him get so close to her and touch her hair. But for some reason she felt safe, almost comfortable, in his presence. There was nothing threatening about Anakin's actions. Still, she reminded herself to watch her own actions in the future. The little boy from Tatooine was growing up now. He may not have been completely grown yet, but nevertheless, a simple hug between two old friends may not be so simple anymore.

"I better get going," she said, trying to distance herself emotionally from him. "I've got to get ready for tonight. You should too. I'll have Rabe or Eirtae help you select a suitable wardrobe." As she walked out of the room she turned back to look at Anakin. He had been staring at the ground again, and Padme felt her composure slipping. He looked so pitiful, so helpless, so sad. She wanted to comfort him, to tell him that everything was all right, that she wanted more than anything to help him with whatever demons he was dealing with. But she didn't know where to begin. She wasn't even sure if she knew Anakin Skywalker anymore.

"We _will _talk sometime," she said in a deep and authoritative voice that did not betray the emotions laden in her words. "We will talk about everything, when I know what to say to you."

He looked up at her, and her eyes found his, almost pleading for his approval. Anakin gave her a silent nod and smiled at her, reassuring her with his consent.

* * *

Thanks a lot for your reviews and your encouragement. Sorry this update took so long. Unfortunately the next one may be in more than a few days too as these first three chapters have really been only the prologue to this story. The action will pick up starting very soon, and the next chapter will be very key to the rest of this story and the three that I plan to follow it. Thus, in order to keep writing I need to form a more detailed outline of the saga, but I will try to get it out as soon as possible. Again, thanks a lot for reading. 


	4. Chapter 4

Wow. It's been a month since I've updated this. Sorry for the long wait, but I've been busy completing my Shroud story. Now that that's done, I am definitely going to be focusing a lot more on this one now.

Chapter 4

He felt naked as he walked into the massive reception chamber. Vulnerable, even. For the hundredth time he ran his fingers through his hair and down to where his old Padawan braid had once been.

The lock of hair that had branded Anakin Skywalker for five long years now lay innocuously in a safe-box somewhere within the Queen's chambers. The removal of it had been a necessity to conceal his identity for the evening's events, but it signified the definite and unalterable end to a part of his life. The braid would stay hidden until Anakin decided what to do with it. He couldn't destroy it yet. Perhaps, not at all, until he knew for certain what the Jedi were going to do with him.

For all his apprehension at life after the braid, Anakin also felt free for the first time in his life as he thought of his old braid with contempt. That braid, he realized, enslaved him as much as Watto's transmitter did on Tatooine. It had trapped him in a cold and unfeeling temple that felt more like a prison, and it held his heart in a bondage more severe than any spare parts dealer could hold. But all that was behind him now. Anakin Skywalker wondered if every sentient being in the galaxy associated freedom with such uncertainty.

So he gave the braid to the one person he trusted in the world, the same woman that he trusted to detach it from his head. That woman now walked beside him, arm in arm, down towards the waiting bourgeois. Anakin inhaled her sweet flowery aroma and intoxicated his soul with the warmth of her presence. Padme was all that mattered now in his life. He trusted her. She would protect him with all the resources she had. And the Queen of a planet can have quite a wealth of resources.

They approached a tall and pompous man that seemed to lived for self-importance. The elegantly dressed man bowed politely at his Queen, and Padme released her grip on Anakin's arm and bowed in return. Anakin quickly imitated the Queen's actions.

"It is always an honor to greet you, your highness." Pure aloofness, Anakin thought. The man radiated insincerity with every fiber of his being.

"The honor is mine also, Governor Duu Repsaj. Allow me to introduce to you my cousin Leo Naberrie from Alderaan."

"Always a pleasure to meet a relative of the Queen." The Governor stood his ground, and after a few awkward moments Anakin relented and took a step towards him as he reached out his hand. He tried to think of a proper greeting for the occasion but ceased his efforts once he realized that the Governor barely gave him a second glance.

"Are they all going to be like this," asked Anakin after they moved on.

"Yes, but none of them will be as bad as our beloved new Governor," whispered Amidala to her newfound cousin.

Anakin heart skipped several beats when the Queen's lips grazed his earlobe as she spoke. Her voice never sounded sweeter, he decided, than when her soothing breath accompanied the sound until it lightly caressed his skin and disappeared back into the Force. Composure, he realized, would be his most unattainable prize tonight.

"He seems like a typical phony politician to me."

"He's that and more, An…Leo." Padme blushed through her white ceremonial makeup as she almost let slip the identity of her friend to anyone who was disinterested enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. "He is a nobleman and a politician. He is descended from a long line of Kings, which is what he believes himself to be."

"So why doesn't he run then?"

"I still can't tell how he won the Governor's election against Sio Bibble, but the people of Naboo would never elect him or anyone else in his family as King. It was the Repsaj line of monarchs that ran our planet into bankruptcy and poverty. Generations passed before we were able to recover."

"I think," said Anakin as he pulled the Queen closer to him, "that I will be keeping an eye out on him tonight."

The two handmaidens following the two Naberries started to noticeably giggle. The Queen offered a sly look back at Rabe and Eirtae before she pointed out a handsome young man with long and wavy blond hair straight ahead of them.

"That is Naszqa Dooku, heir to the Count of Serenno. He is a regular at these functions. I don't know how he stands to come here all the time. I believe that the only reason he is here is to attract the unwavering attention of my dutiful handmaidens."

"I see," said Anakin quietly. _I'm fine with him_, he thought, _as long as he attracts only the attentions of the handmaidens._ His head was somewhere else, though, as they greeted more of the gathered nobility. _Dooku of Serenno,_ he thought to himself repeatedly. _Where have I heard that before?_

It was time. Anakin reluctantly felt Padme's arm slip away from his as she dutifully and steadily approached her throne at the center of the room. Anakin followed her stealthily until she slowed down to let him catch up.

"Have some fun tonight, Leo," she said to him under her breath without turning her head. "I have to announce the night's festivities from the throne. In meantime, socialize a bit. Meet some new people. You'll find that even the aristocrats can be charming."

"Oh, it is their charm that I fear more than a Sith Lord himself."

"Behave," she ordered firmly, "and I might save my first dance for you later tonight."

"As you wish, your highness." Anakin stopped and bowed to the Queen as she walked up the steps to her throne. It was amazing how she could pacify his behavior in ways that Obi-Wan could never imagine or accomplish.

Alone now, Anakin scanned the room for a friendly face. Well, the faces were all friendly, he told himself, but the hearts that hid behind them weren't as affable as he would hope. He picked up an exotic-looking blue-greenish drink from one of the royal waitresses, who gave him an odd look. The boy seemed too young to indulge in the drinks, she thought, but then, who was she to question the associate of the Queen?

The drink burned through Anakin's mouth and into his stomach, but it was strangely satisfying. It must be alcohol, he realized. His first ever taste of it. Anakin took another sip, this time more cautiously. The cocktail tasted much better the second time around as the blend of various Nubian fruits and liquors ran across his tongue. Some of the fruits seemed to resemble the scent of Padme's perfume, he realized. At that thought, Anakin greedily gulped down what remained in the glass and looked around for another. It wasn't long until he tracked down the waitress and took this time a glass for each hand.

"Not the gentlemanly thing to do, is it, to hoard all the Shurran Punch," a voice asked behind him.

"Who said I was a gentleman," retorted Anakin petulantly at his accuser. He turned around to see the young Dooku approaching him amiably, a glass of the punch in each of his hands as well. The slightly older boy gave Anakin an ironic smile.

"Pardon me for my lapse in judgment. I don't blame you, though, for enjoying these fine drinks." At that cue both of them took a large sip from one of their glasses. Anakin sighed contentedly as he swallowed his sip.

"This punch reminds me of everything I love about Naboo."

"It is a beautiful planet." The two of them gazed around in awe at the elaborate chamber they found themselves in. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Naszqa Dooku of Serenno."

"Leo Naberrie from Alderaan."

"I would shake your hand," said Naszqa still with a grin on his face, "but it appears that neither one of us is equipped to do so." The two new friends shared a laugh. "You are relatives with the Queen, then?"

"Yes, or so they tell me. Apparently we share a surname and a very distant great-great-great-great uncle." He wanted to buffer his alleged blood ties with her. Just in case, Anakin reasoned, he and Padme got a little friendly tonight in front of everyone else.

"Well, I congratulate you on your distantly royal blood," Dooku replied with an ample portion of sarcasm.

"Here's to royalty." Anakin raised both glasses towards their counterparts in Naszqa's hands, and the proceeded, to the Serennoan's surprise, to finish both his drinks. "Let's have a few more of these," he yelled in a very un-gentlemanly manner towards a waiter who had the unfortunate destiny of being within the closest proximity to the former Jedi.

"Aren't you a little young to be drinking so much?" Naszqa had an amused look on his face.

"I would ask the same of you," Anakin said after taking a few more gulps from his newly acquired drinks. "You don't look that old yourself."

"Ah, but I am a Dooku. My family has never been hesitant to enjoy the finer things in life," Naszqa said with a bit of flair.

"Your family, eh? I heard through the Corellian-Grapevine that you are heir to the throne yourself."

"Oh, not as much of a throne as a meaningless and wealthy title. My uncle the Count Sar Dooku was a Jedi, so he never had any kids. My father died years ago, so I am the closest male heir."

_Sar Dooku_? No wonder the name sounded so familiar. Anakin now recalled that the marble replica of Master Dooku had stared down at him every time he paid a reluctant visit to the Temple library.

"Really? Used to be a Jedi? Do you know why he quit?" Anakin was intrigued now. Perhaps he would learn a tidbit of information that not even his former esteemed Masters could figure out.

"Something political." Naszqa smiled as he downed another gulp of punch. "I can't tell you much more because I don't know much more than that. My uncle is a bit eccentric, to tell you the truth, and I have never been close to him. Honestly, I don't think he's ever been close to anyone."

It was then that the two young men saw the Queen approach them, followed by a gaggle of giggling handmaidens.

"Finish your drinks, Leo. I think the ladies would like to use us for the dances."

"Here's to ladies then," Anakin toasted, and the two gentlemen chugged down the rest of the delicious elixir.

As the handmaidens quickly grouped around the Serennoan, Padme discreetly pulled Anakin aside with a disapproving look on her face.

"My I ask for a dance from my Queen and cousin," asked Anakin a little to loudly in Padme's opinion.

"Most certainly, cousin Leo," replied the Queen formally.

As they embraced each other somewhat awkwardly Padme whispered "Even if you haven't been behaving."

"Oh yes I have," argued Anakin in his own defense. "You'll be pleased to know that I am having fun. Even made a new friend, if you can believe it."

He had never danced a step in his life, but Anakin easily adapted as he allowed the extremely high levels of midichlorines and alcohol in his blood to put him in tune with the music and his partner's steps. He wasn't aware of the quality of his performance, but at least he hadn't hurt his partner yet.

"You're way too young to be drinking, Anak…I mean, Leo."

"Tell your waitresses that. Besides, I wouldn't have met my new friend the royal Dooku if it weren't for my new hobby." Anakin was getting better by the second at his dancing hobby too, as he reached out and let the Force guide his every move.

"You do smell like Shurra fruit though," Padme admitted. No, she thought. Reeked is a better term.

"It's must be a delicious fruit."

"It is. It's my favorite."

Anakin's heart skipped a beat, but his feet didn't miss a step. Temporarily allowing himself to forget all that troubled him, Anakin truly became one with the music, the room, and all that occupied it. Including Padme. Especially Padme. Nothing could pull him away from her touch right now. Nothing except for a feeling that slowly crept into his senses. Something was wrong in the room. Very wrong. A heavy hand on his shoulder quickly and abruptly interrupted his thoughts.

"Excuse me, boy. I believe that it is my turn to dance with the beautiful Queen." Anakin looked at the man who dared to intrude into his fantasy. His rival was a tall man with dark-hair, dressed in exquisite and expensive robes. Anakin flared in anger, but he didn't not want to cause a disturbance and embarrass Padme, so he stepped back. Without even awaiting her permission, the rude man took the Queen's arms and twirled her across the room.

Anakin was quickly claimed by another handmaiden. Sabe, he recognized. His concentration broken, Anakin reached out with the Force to search the feelings of the room again, trying to locate what had felt so wrong.

And so very deadly.


	5. Chapter 5 AND Trailer

Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone. Sorry for the long delay in updates. It's been a strange week.

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Chapter 5

The air continued to tremble in Anakin's ears with deadly auspices. There was an impostor in the room. One whose murderous thoughts should have stood out among the impotent bourgeois had Anakin's senses not been corroded by the lingering effects of his binge in the Nubian arts of mixed cocktails.

Anakin immediately rotated his eyes around the room to locate the one person he sought to protect, and to his dismay Padme was being swirled about by the rude man further and further away from him. A twinge of jealousy burrowed into his head, and Anakin had to fight hard to not allow it to become a distraction. _She's wearing my hairpin_, he reminded himself as he stared at the trinket entwined in the Queen's braids. _She's wearing my japor snippet. He means nothing to her._

Blinking twice, he turned his eyes to his own dance partner and noted the difference. There was not much of it physically. Sabe could've passed for Padme's older sister. Twin, even. But then, he remembered, she had already passed for Padme herself during the Trade Federation crisis five years ago. Probably still plays the body double role even today.

There were slight differences too, of course. The handmaiden had a trimmer, more athletic body. Her eyes were sharper and seemed more alert, a trait Anakin recognized in a career bodyguard. Her hair was lighter than he had remembered, and definitely not as dark and, in Anakin's opinion, mysterious as Padme's. All in all, Sabe was a very attractive woman, comparable in the eyes of most men, Anakin surmised, to her queen. But not in his eyes. The main difference was, he finally concluded, that while he could see Sabe's beauty, with Padme he could feel hers.

He looked around for Padme. Anakin could barely see her now, and not only was that disappointing, it was also very contrary to being prudent to his now overwhelming urge to keep her safe from the danger that was lurking in the chamber. He subtly nudged Sabe and whispered in her ear.

"Do not show any panic or surprise, but I think there is a threat to the Queen in this room."

Sabe obeyed his instruction everywhere but in her eyes. "What is it," she whispered back. "How do you know?"

"I don't know, but I have a very strong feeling about it. Very bad, too."

He tried to locate the trespasser again. Concentrating only on his feelings for Padme and his need to protect her, he stretched his consciousness across the chamber. He was one with the chamber now, one with all the dancing nobles…one with the impostor who had just perched himself into position in an alcove above the crowd. Something cold, he felt. Physically cold.

Like the hard durasteel of a blaster.

"Everyone get down," he yelled as he tried his best to gently let go of Sabe. "There's an assassin in the room."

His voice carried through the entire chamber and Anakin felt the rising panic now starting to overtake the mob. He wondered if it was a wise decision to alarm everyone.

The blaster fired. Anakin screamed in panic and ran across the room towards Padme, unintentionally Force-pushing a whole throng of aristocrats violently onto the ground in the process. His hand was already on his lightsaber, and as he lit it and jumped over some of the crowd Anakin prayed that he would not be too late.

He was too late. For as many miracles as the Force could achieve and as fast as a young passionate former Padawan could move himself, there are few things in the galaxy that could overcome the light speed velocity of a blaster bolt.

Anakin saw the deadly blast of energy strike directly into Padme's head. And his heart stopped as soon as he felt hers stop.

* * *

Now I normally would not update with such a short chapter, but this is too evil of a cliffie to leave you guys with. The next, longer, chapter should be up later tonight or tomorrow. But in the meantime, there is a thread on where you make trailers for your stories, so I made a little trailer for the entire Rogue Saga as a whole, so hopefully you can enjoy this in the meantime.

* * *

* * *

Scene: _Queen Amidala of Naboo hesitantly approaches a hooded man standing alone in the Palace lobby. _

Voiceover of Mace Windu: "Do you think he is a threat?"

_The man pulls down his hood to reveal the face of a young Anakin. _

Voiceover of Obi-Wan: "He is just a boy"

Scene: _Changes to a balcony in the palace of Theed overlooking a waterfall. Anakin and Padme stand side by side. _

Anakin: "The Jedi and Master Obi-Wan weren't what I expected them to be."

Scene: _The camera slowly zooms away from the two and into the waterfall. All you can see is water. Then fire. A house in a small Naboo village is burning. Camera shifts to Padme, kneeling on the ground, crying and screaming. Anakin stands behind her, face bruised and bloody, unsure of what to do. _

Voiceover of Anakin: "I couldn't save her either."

Scene: _Lightsabers hiss and clash. The camera zooms out to reveal the participants-Anakin and Obi-Wan. _

Obi-Wan: "It's not too late Anakin. The Jedi..."

Anakin: "The Jedi mean nothing to me now. And neither do you."

Scene: _The inside of a ship. Anakin and Padme sit huddled in a corner with weary demeanors. _

Anakin: "Where do we go now?"

Padme: "Somewhere. Anywhere. There is nothing left on Naboo for me."

Scene: _Switches to fire again, and an explosion. A older Anakin is running towards a burning building, screaming at the top of his lungs. Scene then changes to a desert landscape illuminated by the moon. We see an even older Anakin, slashing at various scoundrels and scofflaws with his lightsaber. His eyes are burning, almost yellow. He revels in each death he inflicts. _

Voiceover of Anakin: "There is nothing but revenge. It is my life."

Scene: Obi-Wan Kenobi is cautiously approaching someone.

Obi-Wan: "She may be alive."

Scene: _Anakin Skywalker walks confidently into a royal palace gathering, brushing through the mingling aristocrats. His hair is short and dignified. He is wearing the expensive and exquisite robes of a noble. He joins the crowd with a sophisticated gait._

Anakin: "I am Naszqa Dooku, the Count of Serenno."


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for reading, everyone. I noticed a few of you had some concerns though.

**Gizzi1213**: if Anakin cut off his braid to hide his identity as a Jedi Padawan, would he still be wearing and carrying his lightsaber? I mean, wouldn't it be rather hard to conceal?

There are plenty of places in a fine Nubian robe where Anakin can tuck in his lightsaber, I think. Look at Sidious. He concealed his weapon for decades during his stint as the Senator and then Supreme Chancellor from Naboo. Plus, cutting off his braid was as much an act of defiance I think as it was an act of practicality. I doubt that Anakin would willingly give up such a handy weapon that he could protect Padme with.

Again, thanks for reading! Here's the next chapter.

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Chapter 6

_I've failed again!_

The blaster shots continued to rain down and by now the only task in Anakin's mind was to deflect them away. He could not tell anymore by this point who the assassin was aiming for: the handmaidens and guards that now surrounded the crumpled body of their Queen, or the surprising Jedi, _no, former Jedi_, that had appeared out of nowhere.

He faced the alcove where the assassin stood now, backing his way slowly towards where Padme lay on the ground and paying no heed to anyone who could be in his way. The assassin, he saw, wore a metal armor that covered his entire body, including his face. Anakin could not recall the name, but he knew that he had seen pictures of this man before. He was supposedly one of the most dangerous bounty hunters in the galaxy, if Anakin remembered correctly.

To Anakin though, it didn't matter who the assassin was. He would take on Master Yoda himself if he threatened Padme in any manner. As he carefully deflected bolt after bolt while trying not to injure the surrounding bystanders, most of whom were already clearing the room in cowardice, Anakin reached through the tenuous but developing connection he had with Padme. She was still alive, he discovered, if only for now. He felt pain from her, though he could not tell how severe it was. Surprise too. The feelings of shock that registered in his head seemed to overwhelm any notions of pain.

Now having acquired the knowledge of Padme's condition, Anakin was now posed with a perplexing dilemma. As the seeds of rage began to blossom in his mind, there were few things he desired more strongly than to go after this despicable bounty hunter and kill him for what he did to Padme. But then there was Padme. Anakin worried about what would happen if he left her side. Were there other assassins out there? And she was in pain too? He had to help her, maybe use some of his newly learned Jedi healing techniques on her.

What if it was already too late, he thought morbidly. He had already seen the bolt hit her right on the back of her head. He had smelled the deathly stench of burnt hair. Very few would survive any wound that would result, and such survivors were the unlucky ones. Such a grievous thought purged everything out of Anakin's heart with the exceptions of anger and hate.

Without making a conscious decision Anakin reached across the chamber in pure reflex and the assassin found himself hurling through the air and slamming violently down from the alcove onto the chamber floor. The presence of a Jedi had surprised him and made his mission, or rather his escape, much more difficult than he had hoped, but nothing could prepare Jango Fett for what was about to happen next.

* * *

Even after twelve years as a Jedi Padawan and five as a Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi still recoiled at the devastation he found on Tatooine. His companion Master Adi Gallia was undoubtedly contemplating the larger implications of what she saw, probably working around in her mind her impending report to the Council, but all Obi-Wan could think of was his Padawan. _Anakin, what have you done?_

Their first task upon arriving on the Outer Rim planet had been to locate Master Ki-Adi Mundi. The former Ki-Adi Mundi, they discovered. The wise veteran of the Jedi Council had perished in a speeder crash in the nooks and crannies of Beggar's Canyon. As he and Master Gallia collected the Jedi Master's remains, they had discussed and speculated on what could have caused his death.

Master Gallia was an expert pilot, they both agreed, perhaps the most skilled on the entire Council. No matter how treacherous the terrain there was no way he would get into a fatal accident by himself. Master Mundi had been in pursuit of someone, or perhaps he was the prey. Either way, there were few pilots that possessed the skill to outrace the Jedi Master. Unfortunately, Anakin Skywalker had been one of those few pilots since he was a nine-year old boy.

But nothing could prepare the two Jedi for the slaughter they found scattered throughout the desert planet. They had so far located six Tusken Raider camps, completely devoid of life. Cleanly cut limbs and heads were strewn everywhere across the sand. The decapitated had been the lucky ones, Obi-Wan thought. The majority of the corpses were burnt beyond recognition. Obi-Wan could not tell the difference between skin and wardrobe. The stench of the rotting corpses weighing down the air was matched only by the unmistakable odor of boiled flesh. The emotional residue left behind in the breezes of the Force was even more horrifying. Obi-Wan felt horrible pain, both physical as well as mental. And then there were the unmistakable traces of unmitigated anger and hatred.

"This," whispered Master Gallia as she pointed down to the charred remains of a Tusken, her usually soothing voice now stained with morbid finality, "was not done naturally."

"It certainly does not feel right." But then, has anything felt right since his Padawan ran away so many weeks ago? "My senses are off, I think. Something is escaping me though."

"Perhaps you are blinded by your feelings for your Padawan." It was a rare moment when the amiable Master Gallia would admonish anyone, especially a Jedi Knight.

"Of course I care for the boy," protested Obi-Wan. "What kind of master to him would I be if I didn't care?"

"I do not blame you for caring, Obi-Wan." Gallia placed a soft hand on his shoulder. "But you must realize now that Anakin Skywalker is your Padawan no more."

"He is a boy, Master Gallia. Surely you understand that! He's just a boy."

"Face it, Knight Kenobi. Your _former _Padawan has killed a member of the Jedi Council. And that's nothing compared to the fact that he has massacred entire tribes, women and children included, with _Sith lightning_!"

"Sith lightning…" Obi-Wan's vocal chords failed him as he stared back at the Jedi Master in horror.

"…is exactly what killed this Tusken. I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, but you've been deceived. We all were. Who knows how long Anakin has been a Sith, hiding within us." She turned to leave the incriminating site and walked back towards their speeders.

"No," whimpered Obi-Wan weakly as his feet stood their ground. "He is not a Sith. He's just a boy."

"Perhaps your judgment has been comprised, young Kenobi."

Obi-Wan did not feel his legs following Adi Gallia. He knew what she was going to report to the Council. Her mind was already made in the matter. Case closed. If only he were so lucky.

* * *

It was happening again, just as it had on Tatooine. Anakin had already lost control of his actions and his feelings. A part of him watched in horror as deadly electric pulses crept out of his palm towards the fallen assassin on the other side of the chamber. Another part of him laughed in maniacal glee.

The lightning stuck Jango Fett just as he was able to prop himself up. Waves and waves of pain flowed through his metal armor and into his flesh and body. But Fett did not achieve his legendary status by simply giving up in times of difficulty. He screamed in unbearable pain every inch of the way, but in the end his finger found its path to the button that activated the rocket pack on his back. The flames shot out at the floor, and despite singeing the body armor on his lower legs, carried him away from the prying grasps of the deadly lightning and out of the chamber.

The electricity still continued to erupt from his palm. Anakin realized that it was striking bare walls now, destroying the beautiful paintings and murals that decorated the interior of the palace chamber. He did not want to stop; he still barely understood the deadly forces that shot out of his hands, but Anakin knew that there was something wrong about it. Still, the release felt like a drug that lifted all the burdens of the world off his shoulders. He focused on the dark energies of his head, and the lightning that resulted from them. Nothing else existed.

Padme! Padme existed. He felt the stare of her eyes on his back and felt her horror at the scene before her. Anakin cried out in an attempt at self-control. His every muscle strained as he literally felt himself pull back the lightning that still continued to shoot out. Slowly the range of the electricity began to decrease, and Anakin finally gave in to himself. He knelt motionless on the floor for a few seconds, then slowly forced his creaking joints up and turned to face the stares of astonishment he was receiving.

Padme sat dazed on the floor, but the weight of her alarmed stare almost knocked Anakin back onto the floor. Her head was still whole and complete, Anakin noted with relief. Around her stood several handmaidens and guards, including Captain Panaka, whom Anakin recognized from the blockade crisis five years ago. Hopefully, he prayed, the recognition would not be mutual.

His cover was blown. They had seen him use his lightsaber. They had seen him use Jedi Lightning. They knew he was a Jedi. But, Anakin realized, they still did not know who he was. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage.

"I'm sorry to alarm any of you," he stated in his deepest and most official tone. Anakin puffed his shoulders up as he picked up the lightsaber that he had dropped in his dark reverie and tucked it neatly back into his robe. "I am not Leo Naberrie, nor am I related to her majesty Queen Amidala."

"Well, that's obvious enough now." Captain Panaka protectively stepped ahead of the group huddled around the queen.

"It's okay," muttered Padme weakly, but no one seemed to hear her.

"I apologize sincerely for the deception, but I'm afraid it was necessary. I am Ranakin Skyesolo, Jedi Knight. The Council learned of a conspiracy to assassinate the Queen a week ago, and I was sent here to investigate the matter."

"You seem awfully young to be a Jedi Knight, Ranakin." Panaka intentionally addressed him in with the more informal part of his new alias.

"The Jedi value wisdom and abilities in the Force over age, milord…"

"It's Captain. Captain Panaka." Anakin sighed with relief as his deception seemed to work. "May I ask you respectfully, why was the Royal Guard not informed of the Jedi Council's decision."

"Nor was the government informed." No one noticed the pompous Governor until he spoke. Duu Repsaj seemed to have crept out of nowhere.

"The Queen was informed." Anakin gave said Queen a quick glance that no one else noticed. It was a glance of supplication.

To his relief Padme understood his intentions and played along. "Captain Panaka, Governor Repsaj, I personally approved the Jedi Council's recommendations."

"We needed to work in secrecy," Anakin quickly added before Padme could say something compromising. "There were rumors that the conspirators included several high-ranking officials in the Royal Court." He wasn't completely lying, either. Right before the blaster fired Anakin felt waves of anticipation from various places in the room. There were others complicit in the assassination, Anakin now realized, other than the assassin himself.

"This is preposterous," cried Repsaj. Even in indignation, he still maintained his aloof manner. "Surely the Jedi cannot be accusing the Royal Court in this…barbaric act."

"I do not accuse the Royal Court," Anakin said calmly even though he felt like strangling the Governor for his impudence. "Only certain members of it." He stared at the Governor's eyes. Something didn't feel right with him. "Enough haggling though. Our primary concern should be the Queen's safety." It was his primary concern, at least.

Anakin walked steadily towards Padme. Panaka seemed a little uneasy at the sight of a stranger approaching her, but he did not protest. The Jedi gently picked her up and held her in support. "What happened, milady? I saw the blaster bolt strike you in the head." He tried his best to hide the fear that underlined his spoken words.

"I, I felt something, a blow, strike the back of my head." Padme tentatively reached her hand towards the back of her head to indicate the exact location. "And then I fell and blacked out." Her fingers finally reached their destination, and to everyone's surprise, fell onto a trinket that lay beneath several layers of singed hair.

"Your hairpin," moaned Padme. She looked at no one but Anakin. "An…Ranakin, you saved my life."

Anakin tried his best to maintain his composure. "It is the job of the Jedi to save lives," he offered weakly, and then adding as almost an afterthought "your majesty."

"I don't understand," muttered Repsaj.

"What happened," asked Panaka. "How exactly did you save her life?"

"I gave her this," he pointed towards the hairpin. "It is a traditional Jedi charm, containing sacred protective crystals." Lies mixed with truth. "The crystals must have absorbed the first blaster bolt, and I was able to fend off the rest of them." An uncertain fact and a brag.

"We are forever in your debt, Master Jedi," offered Captain Panaka sincerely. He did not look down upon the boy Jedi anymore, for Ranakin had succeeded in protecting the queen where he had failed. "On behalf of Naboo, thank you for saving our Queen's life."

"Thank you, Anakin," whispered Padme into his ear in a voice so soft that no one else heard it. Then, she gave him a formal bow and stated authoritatively, "Master Skyesolo, again I owe the wisdom and foresight Jedi my life, and I cannot aptly express my gratitude."

Her words breathed confidence into him. Authority. That was what Anakin had now for the first time in his life. He had observed others around him wield it for years now. Finally, the slave, the student had become the master.

Gloating inside, Anakin began to use his newfound weapon. "We must vacate the Queen from the capital," he ordered first. Then came the explanation. "The danger has not subsided yet. The assassin has escaped and is still loose."

"My men and I will conduct an extensive search for them." Strangely, Panaka did not feel undermined taking orders from the young Jedi.

"And what of the conspirators you speak of," asked Governor Repsaj.

"That is your job to unearth them, Governor." The young Jedi's eyes seemed to stare straight through Repsaj's soul. "I trust you will find them before they find another assassin."

"Of course."

The Queen finally decided to speak up. It was her planet, after all. Padme felt slightly uncomfortable with Anakin giving all the orders, but he seemed to know what he was doing. She would go along with him now and demand a full and complete explanation later. Sensing his intentions, she went along with them.

"Very well then. I will leave you men to your work. The Master Jedi will accompany me to the Lakes Province, where we will await your results."

"As you wish, your majesty."

Throughout the entire conversation it seemed to Anakin that he was an observer rather than a participant. The terrified young boy watched in awe the Master Jedi Ranakin Skyesolo manipulate and direct the most powerful of the Nubians with ease. As he watched himself accompany Padme away from the crowd, Anakin breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back into the reality.

* * *

"The queen is still alive?" Darin Lupes slammed his fist onto the table in a fit of rage. "How can this be?"

"The Jedi know. They've always known. They are probably onto us already right now! He suspects me already, that Skyesolo."

Lupes laughed on the inside as he watched the frightened man rant on. The crime lord knew that he was one of a privileged few who now had the opportunity to watch a Governor and a Repsaj so distraught and humbled.

"This is a mistake," Repsaj continued to ramble. "I should have known it was a mistake from the very beginning. We have to call this thing off now! Oh, I'm ruined."

"No!" The word came from a man who had been silent throughout most of their meetings. He may have not been their leader, but he was their recruiter, the shepherd who had brought the flock together. Out of all that gathered in the hut, none were more recognizable than Cnal-Ides Broos, not even the Governor who would be King.

"Amidala must die," the famous philosopher, writer, and painter stated harshly. "Our planet, our democracy, our entire way of life depends on her death."

"She will suffer, and then she will wish for death many times over before I give her such a blessing." A new figure entered the room, clad in burnt armor and propelled by a jet pack rather than his own two feet. Jango Fett's limbs hung loosely from his torso, as through his pain he surmised that his flesh had already been melded together with his durasteel covering. Still the physical pain he could endure much easier than the humiliation that he would never live down, not even after the death of his prey. "Get me some bacta, and I will finish the job."

"You should have succeeded the first time," admonished Broos. Fett winced inside his helmet, but a part of him respected a man brave enough to scold him. A man brave enough to order the death of his own Queen.

"The public will sympathize with her now that you failed," he said as they all watched the holo-net recording of the speech she was currently giving. It was an inspiring one. The crowds cheered and roared with Queen Amidala as even minutes after an attempt on her life she still had the courage to stand against her would-be assassins. "They will treat her as a martyr. Through her death she will gain a following even larger than the one she has in life. Our democracy will not be able to withstand the consequences."

"What can we do then," asked Repsaj, who still had yet to regain neither his breath nor his composure.

"We must discredit her now in the eyes of the people," replied Broos reluctantly with resolve. "We must seek allies that are…unnatural."


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks to everyone who is reading this. I hope that it will continue to entertain you.

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Chapter 7

It is a rare occasion where a full-fledged Jedi Knight is rendered into a helpless bystander, but Obi-Wan felt like he was a mere youngling again, nervously looking into an uncertain future. Only this time it was not his future at stake; it was his Padawan's, and contrary to his comparisons, Anakin's future seemed to already be set in stone, at least in the eyes of the Jedi Council.

"Disturbing this is, if young Skywalker has been trained in Sith techniques."

"Master Yoda, how many times do I have to say this? There is no way Anakin has had any contact with any Sith. I am with him twenty-four standard hours every day, and I can assure you that I am the only one training him."

"If he was so well guarded," retorted the blue holo-image of Master Saesee Tiin, "how was it that it was two full days after he escaped that the Council learned of his absence?"

Adi Gallia stepped into the conversation. "In Master Kenobi's defense, he did try to inform the Council the moment he learned of young Skywalker's absence in the morning, but no one believed that he had actually left the Temple until it was too late to track him down."

"Regardless," dismissed Tiin, "if your Padawan was able to make his escape during the night, then he would've also been able to receive Sith training during the night."

"With all due respect, Master Tiin" replied an exasperated Obi-Wan, "are you suggesting that we have a Sith Master roaming the hallways of our Temple completely undetected?"

"That is what scares us the most," admitted a grim-faced Mace Windu.

"Adapted," added Yoda, "the Sith must have, to be able to cloak themselves in secrecy and infiltrate our Temple."

_Am I really hearing what I am hearing? Does the Jedi Council really believe that a Sith was posing as a Jedi? Force, what if they think it's me?_

"Master Kenobi," said Mace as he was looking to steer the discussion towards its conclusion, "I understand that you care for your Padawan. It is a sign that you are a good Jedi and a good master. However, we cannot deny what you have seen with your very own eyes on Tatooine. A boy of his age does not learn how to use Force Lightning by himself. The very fact that he already has learned the technique demonstrates how powerful he is and how urgent the situation has become."

Obi-Wan remained speechless. There was nothing he could do, he realized, to convince the eleven members of the Jedi Council that he had not felt any hints of the Dark Side through his training bond with Anakin. Again, Adi Gallia came to his rescue, or at least that was what she thought she was doing.

"What are our orders now, Master Jedi? Do we report home to the Temple and discuss the issue further?"

"No," replied Mace. "You will go to Naboo."

Obi-Wan's head perked at the statement. Somehow he should have known that his old Padawan would have found his way to that planet. Obi-Wan suddenly wondered if the Queen was in any danger.

"The holo-nets report that there has been an assassination attempt on Queen Amidala that was allegedly thwarted by one Jedi Knight named Ranakin Skyesolo. There is no Jedi Knight, Master, or Padawan of that name, as it is obviously an alias of our rogue Padawan. The two of you must go to Theed and apprehend young Skywalker before he can do any more damage."

Obi-Wan remained speechless as Adi affirmed their orders to the council. It just didn't add up, he protested in his mind. If Anakin was a Sith, what was he doing saving the Queen's life?

After the transmission ended, the ten present Council members gathered together in meditation. It was hours later that Master Yoda finally broke the silence.

"A test this is, for Master Kenobi. If let go of his attachment to his former Padawan, he can, then a successor for Master Mundi's seat on the Council, we will have."

The other members nodded in agreement.

* * *

Despite his lofty status on the Nubian social ladder, there was no one that so utterly repulsed the sensibilities of Cnal-Ides Broos so much than the man he lampooned to some of his more distinguished colleagues as "The Royal Repsaj." Not even the lowest of the lowlifes in his band of conspirators.

A man of such intellect and fame as himself did not plan regicides as a whimsical hobby. Nor was Broos one of those idle anarchists who prayed for the fall of the government only as a metaphoric goal that brought vague excitement and phantom meaning to their otherwise mundane lives. In fact, from the very beginning of his days as an eager university student Broos had always thought of himself as a most fervent patriot dedicated to preserving Naboo's sacred way of life that its wise forefathers and tumultuous history had so painstakingly outlined for their descendants.

No, Cnal-Ides Broos had not come to the decision of regicide easily. In fact there was not one minute of his current existence in which he did not rethink every one of the mental steps his mind took to reach its conclusion. Even with the decision made, the chivalrous part of him still did not stop objecting to the fact that he was plotting the death of a young girl who had not even reached the ripe old age of twenty.

But it was that fact that reminded Cnal-Ides of the urgency of his situation and the upcoming threat to his beloved planet. Tyrants that could be easily recognized by the people were just as easily disposed of by the popular will. It was the ones that possessed that uncommon charisma, charm, and beauty that were the most dangerous, for they always held suspended the masses in an awed hypnosis until it was too late for the people to escape their trap.

So it was that every time Cnal-Ides questioned his motives and his reasons he gained more resolve to go forward with his decision. He did not expect to receive any personal gain from the outcomes that would follow the death of the Queen. Perhaps he would be hailed as a hero and a visionary in distant years to come, but as a practical man Broos knew that if and when his role in this assassination was discovered, his name would be sullied permanently and at best he would live the rest of his life out as a pariah. At worst his life with end as an unthanked martyr.

And as much as it hurt him to have to resort to such unnatural means to accomplish his task, he knew that it must be done, even at the cost of his life and countless others. Though he had always suspected so, it still surprised him when Repsaj did not deny his complicity with the Nemoidians five years ago during their invasion. Now, as he ordered the governor to contact his former allies, Cnal-Ides knew that he had a tough task ahead of him, brokering an agreement with the greedy Trade Federation while at the same time maintaining the safety and integrity of his Naboo.

* * *

Anakin shifted nervously in the uncomfortable silence that accompanied him and the Queen throughout the bulk of their journey to Valkryno. Only moments before he had been a proud Jedi Knight who had valiantly saved the life of a Queen. But now he possessed neither of the boldness of Jedi Knight Ranakin Skyesolo nor the aristocratic confidence of Leo Naberrie. He was Anakin Skywalker again, a newly orphaned young boy who somehow found himself with the daunting task of protecting not only a Queen, but a woman that he had loved since the day he first set his eyes on her. But then, he had been a Jedi, and tasks like this should have been second nature to him. No, what made him so uneasy was that he now held Padme's undivided attention, and the burden of conversation and entertainment fell solely upon him.

Sensing his discomfort, Padme tried to make conversation, pointing out the villages, mountains, and rivers they passed on their speeder ride to her home village.

"And over there are the Nubaya mountains." She pointed to a steep mountain range to their left with snow covered ridges and sighed sadly.

"What's wrong, your majesty?" Anakin wondered if those words were the first ones he had spoken throughout the entire journey.

"Anakin, you know you can call me Padme right now, when there's no one else around."

"Yes, your majesty," he said, unaware of his slip.

Padme giggled to herself at the sight of Anakin's innocent nervousness, but then returned to more solemn issues. "There are villages in those mountains, isolated ones, that are on or over the brink of poverty. People are starving to death. Even the kids." She paused. "Especially the kids."

Anakin remained silent, but noticing a single tear rolling down her cheek, he gently used the Force to push it off her face.

"I've tried sending aid to them many times. Money does not have much meaning in those villages, but even when I send them packages of food and clothing, they leave the packages unopened. Their traditions and customs do not allow them to accept our help." Again she sighed, but this time in frustration. "Their rules and laws are so arcane, but those people are so stubborn that they will not violate them even when so many of them are suffering and dying. I don't know what to do with them, Anakin. It just kills me inside to see all this suffering and not be able to do anything about it."

"I know," Anakin said without even realizing it. Suddenly, he wasn't on Naboo sitting beside his beloved Queen anymore. He was back on Coruscant, tossing and turning on the barren Jedi bunk he inhabited as the nightmares of his mother tormented his sleep. He was back on Tatooine, holding her in his arms, listening to her dying words to him. He was in the middle of a Tusken camp, helpless and surrounded by the horde. But no, he had not given himself up to certain death. He would live, and he would avenge his mother. He knew that, and he was determined to make it happen. He did not even notice the strange new sensation of electricity creeping out of his flesh at first.

"Anakin!" Padme's voice startled him out of his ecstatic nightmare. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Padme." Anakin tried to depict on his face the very meaning of calmness when he looked at her.

"Your eyes," whispered Padme with concern, "they seemed so distant."

"I was just listening to your story, Padme, and looking at the scenery."

"And you were crying."

"I was," Anakin asked in surprise.

Padme took out a handkerchief and wiped away the tears that dotted his face in response. As she did so, Anakin's entire body tensed. He felt ashamed at revealing his weakness to her. It just seemed to add up endlessly, all his mistakes with Padme. Starting from the moment he had haphazardly and foolishly opened his heart and admitted his love for her, only to be met with a polite rejection that he knew he should have expected from a Queen. Even staying silent to avoid any further mishaps of the tongues hadn't worked.

When her work was done she put the handkerchief in her pocket and admired her work. For a few seconds the two of them stared at each other, one in shame, the other in confusion. The setting sun that reflected off of Anakin's face gave it a surreal glow as he squinted his eyes in an effort to keep her in his sights. Padme admitted to herself that though he was still a boy, Anakin was quickly growing into a handsome young man. Perhaps a little too quickly in her opinion. He even had charm too, if only in those rare moments where he abandoned his vow of silence and was able to carry on a somewhat normal conversation with her.

A whistle from the R2 unit interrupted the two as the droid that had been navigating the speeder during the trip informed them that they had reached their destination. As she looked around at the familiar surroundings of her village, Padme was surprised how quickly they had sneaked up on her.

"We're home."


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry it's been so long, but with classes having started I've had hardly any time to write. Until now, that is. Here's chapter 8. And I'll try to work faster in the future, I promise. Thanks for reading, and please remember to leave feedback!

Chapter 8

Anakin purposely kept his distance behind Padme as she eagerly ran up the steps leading into her family's house. He kept his hand on his lightsaber, gripping it firmly and hoping to regain the feel of the disguise of a Jedi Knight he would have to wear for the Naberries. As she was met by an older woman barely into middle age at the door, Anakin let go of the saber and swung his arms back and forth while trying to puff his chest out as much as possible.

"Padme," cried the woman, obviously the mother, wrapping her arms around her daughter tightly. "Oh, Padme! Oh, thank the Gods you're safe! We were so worried about you."

"You already know about the attempt?" Padme looked dismayed at the fact.

"Were you going to hide it from us," asked her mother in consternation.

"Of course we're going to know what's happened to our youngest daughter," added in a gruff man that appeared to be Padme's father.

"Daddy, mother," Padme protested somewhat rebelliously, "I can take care of myself, you know. I have bodyguards, handmaidens, _and_ a Jedi Knight who just saved my life." She pointed over to Anakin, who was still waiting by the street with his eyes mesmerized by the ground. At the mention of his title though, Anakin cautiously took the meager steps towards the predators that were disguised as the parents of the Queen.

"Hi," he said meekly.

"Oh, don't be shy," scolded Padme offhandedly. "Ranakin Skyesolo, this is my mother Jobal, and my dad Ruwee."

Anakin still hesitated, but any movement from him was unnecessary as Jobal flew down the steps faster than Master Yoda overdosed on caf and enveloped him in a warm hug.

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much for protecting my baby." It was after she released the red-cheeked Anakin that she noticed her baby's protector was not that far from being a baby himself. Before she could question his age her husband stepped towards the pavement and found a hand of Anakin's for him to shake.

"Master Jedi, I can't express how grateful I am for what you've done."

"Oh, it's no big deal." The Master Jedi phrase seemed to bring out of Anakin some of that old Skyesolo confidence. "That's what our job as Jedi Knights are, I guess. Saving lives."

"And he does it well too," said Padme, beaming with confidence. She walked back down the steps to rejoin the group below.

"Hey, aren't you a little young to be a Jedi Knight?" The voice came from a woman standing in the doorway. On further scrutiny Anakin noticed that she was cradling an infant in her arms.

"Oh, Sola, don't embarrass my Jedi protector." Anakin noticed that as she spoke, it was Padme who looked more embarrassed than anyone else. "Sola, Ranakin Skyesolo. Ranakin, my older sister Sola and," Padme walked up to her and motioned towards her baby, whom she reluctantly handed to her younger sister, "my beautiful little niece Ryoo."

Anakin absent-mindedly said hello to Ryoo, realizing after a few seconds of waiting for a response what a futile task it was. No one seemed to notice his slip-up except for Sola, who continued to examine him with her microscopic eyes.

"Well," Jobal interrupted finally, "I can imagine that the two of you are quite hungry. It's a good thing I'm almost finished cooking dinner."

"Lucky for you," Ruwee said with a smirk on his face, "my lovely wife prepares a full and voluminous meal whether or not we have guests."

The patriarch wrapped his arm around his youngest daughter and began to escort her into the house. It was after a few steps that Padme noticed something awry.

"Anakin, are you coming in?"

Anakin was standing by himself now as the family migrated back to their abode.

"In a little while. I think I need to do some meditating."

"Do you want me to call you when dinner is ready?"

"I'll know."

He found a secluded corner in the Naberrie back yard and started his meditation, sitting on the wet grass with his legs crossed. He yearned to just lie back onto the soft turf and roll around without a care in the world, but Anakin managed to discipline himself. Obi-Wan always said that he lacked discipline. Obi-Wan may not be his teacher any more, but that did not mean that the lessons that he had tried to impart lacked merit.

Discipline was what he needed right now. He was no longer a runaway fugitive hiding from his masters; he had a mission now, a purpose in his life, and a Queen to protect. Anakin had already begun to regret the course of action he had just taken. It had been so easy to accept Padme's offer to run away with her and act as a personal bodyguard, but he knew that he was really needed back in Theed at the scene of the crime. Padme would never be safe until whoever was trying to kill her was caught, and as he retraced his steps Anakin realized that he did not completely trust the people in charge of the investigation back at the capitol. Theed was where he needed to be.

But it was too late now. To go back now would leave Padme unprotected, and that just simply could not be. He was just a boy, but he would protect her. He would prefer to have reinforcements. Obi-Wan for example. But he would do it alone if he had to. The mission now, he decided, was all he had left.

Anakin got up and took a blaster droid out of his knapsack. He set the machine on its most difficult level, closed his eyes, ignited his lightsaber, and waited for the blasts to come at him.

"So my little sister has brought home a young suitor." Sola beamed with contrived delight as she helped Padme unpack her belongings. "A little too young, I suppose, but I guess he is still a Jedi Knight."

"Sola," Padme protested uncomfortably. Uncomfortably because her sister had come too close to the truth, and had stumbled too close to the lie. "He is not a suitor. He's only a boy."

"But he's a Jedi Knight," she said again, repeating those two incriminating words. "I still have doubts that they could be so young. But, if that were the case, I should be scolding them for leaving you to at the mercy of a thirteen-year old bodyguard."

"An-, Ranakin is fourteen," replied Padme defensively.

"And you," Sola continued, ignoring her sister, "I am surprised that you have agreed to such terms. Or the Governor. Or your handmaidens. Or that protective head of the Royal Guard, Captain What's-his-name whose sole job is to protect you."

"They are involved in the investigation," stated Padme officially. "And don't forget, it was Anakin who almost single-handedly saved my life."

"Wait a minute!" Sola unceremoniously tossed the dress she was folding onto the floor and pointed an accusing finger at her sister. "What did you call him again?"

"Oh, um, I meant Ranakin." Padme immediately turned away and began rummaging through her case.

"I know you meant Ranakin. But you said…Anakin. That name sounds very familiar."

The now red-faced Queen continued to fling through her belongings without any clear purpose in mind. After a minute of not hearing a sound from her sister, she warily turned around. Sola was standing at the same place, staring at her with intent in her eyes.

"Sola, why are you doing this to me?"

"Why? Why? I'll tell you why, Padme. Someone just tried to kill my little sister, that's why!" She was shouting now, and Padme thought she saw tears starting to form in her eyes. "My little sister almost died, and what does she do? Instead of sheltering herself behind her best bodyguards and handmaidens, she brings home some love-smitten teenager…who I do not believe for one second is a real Jedi Knight!"

"Sola." Padme did not know how to respond. Instead she collapsed on her bed. Her sister sat down beside her.

"I'm worried for you, Padme. We all are. Even dad, though he hides it behind his tough facade, he's worried sick. I don't think he slept a wink last night, Padme. And neither did I."

"Sola," she said with resignation. "I'm sorry. I really am."

"I don't need you to apologize to me, Padme. I want to know the truth. Who is he, whatever his name is? What does he have to do with whatever is going on?"

Padme sat up so that she faced her sister and looked her in the eye for the first time since coming home.

"The truth is, he is a Jedi. Or was, actually. Something happened to him. I don't know what, but I know it's something really bad. Horrible. He ran away from them."

"Why did he run away to you?"

"I've known Ani for a long time." Padme thought back to when she first met him on the planet of Tatooine. How he had been their ticket off that planet. How he had continued to save them, again and again. "He's young. But don't underestimate him. Remember the little boy that saved us all? During the Trade Federation?"

"Yes." Sola paused for a second in recognition. "Anakin Skywalker. I knew I recognized that name."

"And the truth is, he did save my life back in Theed. In more than one way." Padme her hand unconsciously through her hair until she found the hairpin. "Don't worry about me Sola. I trust myself enough to trust him with my life."

She got up from the bed and looked outside. Below her window Anakin leapt around with dizzying velocity as he was able to deflect away every shot the practice droid fired at him. Sola eventually joined her.

"I guess the boy is pretty good."

"He's not just any boy either," Padme whispered softly. She wondered why she was whispering. "Did you know that he has no father. Not in the way that his father abandoned him or anything like that. He has never had a father from the moment he was conceived."

"How is that possible?"

The two sisters continued to watch the young ex-Jedi practice below on the lawn. Neither one commented on it to the other, but both noticed that the boy emitted some kind of glow around his body wherever it went. As his smooth motions moved him closer to the shade beneath their Shurra tree, Sola could have sworn that his color rivaled the setting sun in its luminosity.

"The late Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn told us that he was conceived purely by the Force itself. He has more power in him than any other Jedi in history. They called him the Chosen One."

Sola reached over and grabbed her sister's hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Is he powerful enough to protect you?"

Padme's mind did not let her hesitate.

"Yes."

But as she continued to watch the young man, who had just noticed their presence and had stopped his exercises to look at the two sisters staring out the window, she wondered who needed the protection more.


	9. Chapter 9

Again, sorry for the long delay in between posts. Here's the jumbled and barely coherent mess that I will call Chapter 9 though.

* * *

Chapter 9

Dinner was served in the Naberrie household under the hazy twilight of the Naboo sunset, the colors of the dusk overpowered only by the aroma of the eight-course meal and the tensions of those who gingerly picked at their food.

"So Padme, how long are you staying here?" As Jobal spoke, Anakin had the chance to glance down at her plate. He found it strange that the woman who cooked the meal had barely eaten any of it.

Finally becoming cognizant of her question, Anakin looked uncertainly at Padme. She had not shared with him what she planned for the future yet. The protector took his orders from the protected, especially when the protected was a queen and the protector was a fugitive.

"We will be staying the night," Padme responded authoritatively, "but tomorrow Ranakin will be accompanying me to the Lake Retreat until things settle down." She ignored the wayward glare she received from Sola as she uttered the false name.

"Oh Padme, stay with us," protested Jobal. "At least a few more days. I never get to see you anymore. This is the first time you've been back in half a year!"

"But mom, if I stay here I could be putting all of you in danger!"

Ruwee finally broke his silence on the issue. "How serious is this threat?"

"We don't know yet," replied Padme reluctantly. "I need to be updated on the investigation before I can say for sure."

"It'll be much better for you if you stay here," Sola said pointedly. "It'd be easier for me to look after you."

"And why would a _Queen_ need to be baby-sat?"

"You're my little sister, Padme. I don't need an excuse to look after you."

"This bickering is getting us nowhere," interrupted Ruwee. He turned a heavy gaze to the only non-infant party at the table who had not uttered a word throughout the duration meal. "Master Jedi, what do you think should be done to protect my daughter?"

"Well…um," Anakin hesitated as he cupped his chin with his hand, trying to back his words up with intellectual validity. "The motives behind the assassination attempt are still unclear, and until we determine them with absolute certainty it would be difficult to accurately assess where and when a threat to the Queen could present itself."

"You didn't answer the question." Sola's eyes glared at the young Jedi as she interrupted his analysis. "What should Padme do?"

Anakin stared dumbly at the concerned eyes of the Naberrie's until the Queen finally intervened for his benefit.

"Ranakin's job is to protect me from physical harm, which he has done already. As the native Queen of Naboo, I am more familiar with the local political situation and the risks associated with each course of action. Therefore, it is up to me to make the decision and it is up to Ranakin to protect me regardless of what decision I choose to make."

Sola still wasn't satisfied. "Look at you, Padme," she blurted out angrily, "acting so Queenly around here. Don't you forget your place in this house! You're my little sister, and you're going to give me a straight answer or else…"

"Or else what?" Padme's entire body tensed up as her patience finally gave way and she lifted herself up from her chair so that she stood menacingly over her older sister. To her side, Anakin slouched even deeper into the chair, trying to lose himself forever in its soft fabric linings.

"Sola! Padme! My daughters will not talk to each other this way, especially not during dinner." Jobal put special emphasis on the last word. "Sola, you're a mother now. Is this an example you want to set for little Pooja? And Padme, we all know you're a Queen, but you're still our daughter."

Padme sat back down in her chair, and the two recipients of the lecture both stayed silent as they listened to their mother reproach them.

"You will apologize to each other right now." There was no room for argument in her voice.

"Sorry," Sola muttered, not even glancing up from her food.

"I'm sorry, Sola," Padme stated. "I'm sorry mommy, daddy, for putting such a strain onto your shoulders. And I'm sorry, An-…Ranakin, that you had to see our family this way. We're usually much better than this, I promise you."

Padme placed her hand Anakin's as she spoke to him, hoping to infuse some confidence into the quickly deflating boy. Anakin's back straightened slightly in response. Satisfied with her work, Padme turned her attention back to her family.

"But my decision stays the same, and it's final. We will leave tomorrow for the retreat, and I _will_ be safe there, and so would you. You will not be endangered by my mere presence in this house."

"It's a sad day when my daughter is the one protecting me," Jobal said reluctantly in defeat.

The rest of the meal was finished without a word from anyone.

* * *

"Viceroy Gunray, I am most honored that you have agreed to this conversation."

"And what reason would I have to talk with the Governor of Naboo," asked the holo-projection depicting the leader of the Trade Federation.

"I know that our past alliance did not work out in your favor," replied the supplicating Governor as he stood on two knees in front of the Viceroy's image, "but I have another offer for you that will be mutually beneficial for both of us."

"What is your offer?"

"May I present my colleague, the honorable Cnal-Ides Broos."

"Thank you, Governor." Broos chose not to follow the Repsaj's example as he stood tall and poignantly in front of the holo-projection. "Allow me to introduce myself to you, Viceroy Gunray. I am Cnal-Ides Broos of Naboo."

"I have heard of you, Broos. I understand you are a poet. I also understand you were not in favor of our acquisition of Naboo five years ago."

"Much has changed since then, honorable Viceroy. I am still not in favor of any acquisition by your organization of my home, but despite that I believe that we have some common interests."

"What may that be?"

"We both want Queen Amidala dead."

The Nemoidian's blank eyes lit up upon hearing that statement. "You are correct to assume so. She has been relentless in her persecution of me."

_A persecution you deserve_. Cnal dismissed the irrelevant thought. "She is a threat unlike any that Naboo has ever seen. She must be deposed of."

"So what do you want the Trade Federation to do?"

Broos winced inside as he prepared to speak. He knew that with his next words he would be condemning thousands of innocents to their deaths. But he could not hesitate; he was acting on behalf of thousands of future generations.

"We need to discredit the Queen before we kill her. Another invasion of Naboo will aid us tremendously in that effort."

"My last invasion resulted in a fifteen billion credit loss for the Federation."

"We will do our best to compensate you for your efforts. Let me be clear though; I am not handing over our planet to the Trade Federation. What I am proposing is a limited show of force in a few select cities, such as Theed."

The Viceroy chuckled and blinked his large eyes several times. "You should be informed of the fact then, poet, that the Republic has stripped the Federation of its inherent right to enforce its Trade Routes."

"Ah, but I hear rumors," interrupted Repsaj slyly, "of contracts with the Genoisans. They have quite the reputation as engineers of the more deadly types of machinery."

Nute Gunray stared viciously at the two conspirators for moment, then stated flatly: "And what of the Republic and the Jedi? Do you think that the Supreme Chancellor will sit idly by as his home planet is taken over?"

"The Republic and the Jedi will have nothing to do with our business, honorable Viceroy. Don't underestimate my powers. Whereas I was only able to serve as a lowly spy five years ago, today I am the government. Our proposed invasion will be backed by the full and complete authority of the sovereign planet of Naboo. I promise you that. The Republic and the Jedi will have no reason to intervene."

"And the Queen?"

"She will be made irrelevant," answered Cnal-Ides coldly. "And then she will be dead."

"I like your proposal so far, but one factor is missing."

"What may that be?"

"How does this _temporary_ invasion benefit the Trade Federation?"

Repsaj reached into his pocket and pulled out a small datapad. "The Trade Federation will be granted an 85 share of all government-owned businesses and 75 share of all privately-owned businesses on the planet of Naboo at a 70 discount. We will finance your sale with a 2 interest rate. You will also be awarded free-of-charge any put or call options you would require if you were to buy or sell any stakes on our planet."

"You won't occupy Naboo," added Cnal-Ides gruffly, "but you will own it for all practical purposes."

"Allow me a moment." The transmission cut off instantly, leaving Cnal-Ides alone with his thoughts. As he contemplated his fellow conspirator, still on his knees, Broos wondered if the Governor was too eager and too prepared in his wholesale giveaway of the planet. Killing the Queen, mused Broos, would be the easiest part of this operation. Getting rid of the mess left in the aftermath of Broos and his Nemoidian allies would present Cnal-Ides with his most difficult challenge.

The image of the Viceroy reappeared on the projector. This time Gunray read off of a datapad of his own.

"Cut the interest rate in half, and we have a deal."

"Done," chirped Repsaj.

"I was betrayed," hissed the Viceroy, "the last time I invaded your planet. If this invasion does not go according to plan, expect to have every bounty hunter in the known Galaxy after your heads."

The transmission ended abruptly again.

_You look so complacently satisfied,_ thought Broos as he stared at the pathetic form of the Governor. _If only you knew that the end of the line is approaching for you. And that the real work is just beginning for me._

* * *

Warmed only by the flames coming from the fireplace, Anakin laid on the floor with the comforting bristles of the carpet caressing his back, contemplating whether to meditate or sleep. Drifting along in between those two states, he was surprised to sense Padme walking around the house. Hearing her approach, Anakin curled his body up into a ball and pretended to be asleep. The Queen soon emerged into the central room holding an infant in her arms.

"She is so beautiful," Padme whispered to the fire as she laid herself to rest on the couch.

"What are you still doing up," Anakin asked, keeping his eyes shut for the moment.

"I can't sleep."

"I don't blame you." Anakin rolled around on the carpet so that he was facing Padme and finally opened his eyes to the most beautiful image his dreams could ever conjure up. "I rarely sleep anymore."

"Why not," asked Padme as she softly stroked Pooja's round cheeks with her finger.

"Nightmares."

"Of what?"

"Visions."

"What kind of visions?"

Anakin turned again to avert the Queen's eyes, sitting down on the floor leaned up against the base of the couch.

"Pain. Suffering." He paused. "I don't want to talk about them. I'd rather talk about y…"

"What?"

Anakin turned his head to examine at the sleeping infant on the Queen's lap. "You're right. She is beautiful." He went to tousle her hair but pulled his arm back sharply when his hand accidentally bumped into the soft skin of Padme. Anakin's throat groaned involuntarily, and Padme looked away in embarrassment for the boy. The blushing teenager searched for a way to break through the awkwardness.

"The Force is strong with Pooja," he finally stated authoritatively. "She is destined for great things."

Padme giggled softly. "I'm sure Sola will be thrilled to hear such wise words from a Jedi Master."

"She knows, doesn't she?"

Padme knew better than to lie to a Jedi, no matter how young or rogue. "She knew from the very beginning, before we even said a word." Seeing the sweat beginning to form on Anakin's head, she quickly added: "Don't worry. Sola's my sister. She won't tell anyone."

"I will keep you safe, Padme. I promise."

Padme flinched nervously as she noticed Anakin's blue eyes were now staring right at her.

"I believe you." She sighed. "Do you think I made the right decision?"

"Yes. Yes I do." Anakin said this without the shadow of Ranakin lurking in the shadows. "That Governor knows you're here, and I don't trust him."

"Me either."

"He was lying. I know it. I just don't know what he was lying about." Anakin slammed his hand on the floor in frustration. "I should be Theed right now, keeping an eye on that Governor and trying to find your killer."

"Do you really think he's behind the attempt? He's not an honest man by any means, but is his integrity really low enough to stoop to regicide?"

"Everything about him is low. I can't explain it. It was almost as if the Force was sending me warning signals every moment he was in my presence. I should be in Theed right now. But then…if I were actually there, I would say that I should be with you, protecting you. Poodoo!"

"Don't second-guess yourself, Anakin. No one can be all-powerful, no matter how strong they are in the Force."

"I guess you're right."

"But you're here, and I know you won't let anything happen to me."

"No." _But I don't know what I would do if anything did happen to you. If I failed to protect you._ Again, Anakin averted the gaze of the one he loved and switched his attention to Pooja. Padme noticed this and appropriately changed the subject.

"You know, she's the reason I serve. So children like my niece will have the brightest future."

"It's a worthy cause. And you're doing a great job."

"Sometimes I wonder. I just wish I can know now whether I'm making the right decisions or not. Just so I can be certain of whether I'm actually doing the right thing."

"No one can be all-powerful, Padme. No matter how many people they rule over."

Anakin was relieved to hear Padme laugh. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right. I'm a Jedi Knight."

"Well, Master Anakin," Padme said as she got up from the couch, still cradling the infant, "I believe this Queen is going to try for some sleep again. You should get some rest too."

"I'll try." He watched the two walk out of the room. He felt for their presences in the Force and found comfort both in the already familiar one Padme as well as the gentle one of the sleeping baby. He wished to no one in particular that he could trade places with the latter.

* * *

To Duu Repsaj's disappointment the helmet had just barely clanged down onto the armor when the Governor walked into the recuperation room. He had hoped to see a face that few in the Galaxy had ever laid eyes on, but realized that Jango Fett's true features will continue to remain a mystery for him.

"I am ready, Lord Governor. I will not fail you this time."

"No you will not. And you will not be given an opportunity to fail." Jango winced inside; he had never lost an assignment before.

"I will finish the job I was assigned to, Lord Governor," he pressed with increasing hostility. Jango Fett was not one to beg.

"Save your anger for the Queen, Fett. Of course you'll finish the job. But the plan is fail-safe this time, and success is guaranteed."

"What are my instructions?"

"The Queen is hiding along with her Jedi Protector in Valkryno, her native town. You will go there and await my signal, which will follow the upcoming invasion. My agitators are already placed in the village. Once the riots begin, you will emerge out of hiding and complete your task amid the chaos. You _must _wait until my signal though, or you will not be paid. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Jango muttered, barely able to restrain himself from striking at a man foolish enough to lecture the deadliest bounty hunter in the Galaxy as if he were a schoolboy.

"Get on with it then."

* * *

Thoughts of patience tormented his mind as Jango cruised towards his destination. He will exercise patience. But once his time was up would exercise cruelty beyond his normally professional standards. He would have no mercy for the Queen and the boy that had embarrassed his trademark for decades to come. No mercy for them or anyone who stood in his way.

* * *

Well, at least the Chapter was fairly long. I will have a new and better post up by Sunday night at the latest though. I promise!


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

Chapter 10 

"Anakin!"

The Queen's tender voice pierced softly through the quiet tendrils of the earliest moments of the Naboo dawn. Anakin roused roughly from his resting place on the ground with a loud groan, then sat abruptly up poised for danger. Upon surveying his quiet surroundings, he relaxed his senses to focus on the woman standing before him.

"It's early, Padme."

"I know," she whispered. "I couldn't sleep."

"I'm sorry."

Padme laughed as she gently tousled Anakin's hair.

"Don't worry, Ani, it happens a lot."

As his senses slowly came to him, Anakin noticed that the Queen had been long settled in a formal dress and held beside her two briefcases.

"You're ready to go already," he guessed intuitively.

"Let's leave now, before my family wakes. I don't want them fussing over me again this morning."

"You're not going to say goodbye," Anakin asked, his eyes staring seemingly more into the blank spaces of the morning air rather than the woman before him.

"I want to," Padme sighed, "but I know they'll start nagging over me and begging me to stay again. I'll be back though, very soon, once Panaka finds out who the assassin is. They'll be so overjoyed to hear of his capture. I'm sure they'll find the heart to forgive me."

"My lady, who wouldn't forgive you?"

"More people than you think, Anakin."

Anakin stared intently into the dark brown eyes of the Queen.

"I'll always forgive you Padme, no matter what you do." Realizing his words suddenly, Anakin blushed and looked down. "Not that you're ever going to do anything that requires forgiving."

"I may be an angel Ani, but I'm not perfect."

Anakin gazed at her for a moment with a puzzled expression before breaking out into a light chuckle. Padme quickly joined him in his laughter, and the two resumed their preparations for their trip feeling much better about their course of action.

* * *

Was there anything he hated more than waiting? Cnal-Ides mused that he was out of words for the first time of his poetic life. He had always been a man of action and constant activity. His knees constantly shook, his fingers constantly fidgeted, his eyes always darted, and his mind never rested. 

It had been decades since he last stepped into the hallowed hallways of the Royal Palace. His eyes glazed over the fine art that adorned the waiting chamber, over the statues that he had sculpted and the paintings that he had painted. So long ago. Back when all he had and all he needed was his simple savvy for the arts and his naïve worship of beauty. But prolific as he was at such a young age, Broos could not help but let his focus wander from his own creative box to the world that he existed in. A world, Cnal-Ides soon saw, that was in the obvious stages of decay.

Others around him refused to acknowledge it; they saw nothing wrong with the picture, they told him. But Cnal examined the picture with the eyes of an artist, seeing the small details and the hidden layers beneath the glossy exterior.

He took up the pen soon after and began writing. If he could not expose the picture to the people as it was, he would illustrate it to them by converting it into art. Poems, essays, short stories, and novels soon followed. Readers were cultivated, and a following was born.

Looking around at the grand lobby, Cnal wondered if he was on the right side of the battle. He might never see the great palace again; no one would if the Neimoidians chose to destroy it. Seeds of doubt began to flourish under the dry recesses of his mind. It was his following that had led the charge to depose the corrupt King Veruna so long ago. It had deeply disappointed him that the same readers chose to ignore his subtle signs fifteen years later. Could it be that the people were right this time, and that he was wrong?

The Governor interrupted his thoughts.

"Is the document forged?"

"I had a little trouble," Repsaj teased, hoping to keep the artist in suspense. "The D2 droid wouldn't cooperate. In fact, it tried to activate security, so I had to permanently deactivate it. I found a D6 droid on the supply room though, and it was able to break into the computers."

"It is done, then."

"Now we wait."

* * *

The clear blue skies of Naboo showed no indication of the endless waves of droid battalions that emerged suddenly from the endless void of hyperspace. Touchdown by the invading forces occurred simultaneously in the provinces of Theed and nearby Ladru. The assault vehicles, fresh from the Genoisan factories and gleaming under the sun like a mechanized cavalry approached the planet's capital methodically under the umbrella of automated fighter ships that gunned down every single member of the Naboo Volunteer Fleet that had hastily gathered itself from the Palace hangars. 

Theed fell within the hour. The advancing lines of the Trade Federation's army entered the city unhindered and without any serious resistance. Residents still in trauma from the previous invasion panicked at first, many of them trying to escape the planet. Such foolhardy plans proved to be very hazardous as their ships were all shot down by the blockading fleet encircling Naboo. Some of the more tough-minded citizens found a quick and efficient death as they charged the organized lines of the droid fighters, their flesh, blood, and pure will no match for the hardened durasteel and pinpoint accuracy of the invaders. The majority of the city's citizens, however, sheltered themselves inside their homes and despondently awaited their rescue by the Republic and the Jedi.

The city of Ladru, located in the middle of a mountainous valley, did not suffer such a lucky fate. Aerial formations of droid fighters bombarded the industrial city into the ground before the arrival of the army, who shot any bystanders on sight. Of particular interest to the Federation was a water supply house, which found itself raided by two squadrons of droid fighters. Notable casualties included the many of the Queen's handmaidens and several members of the Royal Guard that were looking into a recent lead they had uncovered on the assassination attempt.

Viceroy Nute Gunray and his assistant Rune Halko stepped onto the palace grounds, savoring their triumphant return to the site of their defeat five years ago. Showing no recognition of the Governor, they were greeted according to diplomatic protocol. Together, they made their way for the Holo-net cameras.

* * *

Panaka crouched on his knees in the corner behind a waste storage container along with the Queen's Chief Handmaiden and decoy. Restless, Sabe fiddled around with her blaster with fire in her eyes. 

"I can't believe this. They have…the nerve to come back again. How could the Republic let this happen?"

"I don't think the Republic knows about this," Panaka replied while never taking his eyes off of the marching droids just outside of their alley. "I assume they have cut off communications on the planet. With no publicized blockade preceding this, I don't think the Republic will ever find out."

"I should have killed that slimy alien when I had the chance five years ago."

"Be careful," Panaka warned, clutching Sabe's shoulder with his hand. "You are the Queen decoy. You may easily be mistaken for her."

Sabe's eyes lit up. "That could work to our favor. They'll bring me before the Viceroy. I'll hide a vibro-blade in my sleeve and cut his neck."

"Or they'll shoot you on sight. I have a feeling that it's more than just a coincidence that this invasion happened right after the assassination attempt."

Seeing the line of droids move by, Panaka got up and motioned for Sabe to get ready.

"We have to find a way off this planet. Once we get to Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine will be able to help us."

Walking alongside the factory wall, the two emerged onto a main street leading into the city. Or rather, what was left of it. The residential center of Ladru was completely destroyed by the firebombing of the Trade Federation, and the rotten stench of burnt flesh filled the air even in the industrial outskirts of the city, which remained relatively untouched.

"I've never seen such devastation in my life," Sabe whispered, her throat wanting to gag as a result of the noxious smell. "They're all dead, Eirtae, Sache, Rabe…"

Panaka pulled on her hand, signaling her to move.

"No time to think about that now. We have to get out of plain sight."

They ran off towards another industrial complex, one with an open yard in the middle where the a few droids had set up their temporary headquarters. Many of the same ships that had bombed the city hours ago were now lined up along the facility's mining pit, sparsely guarded as there was no one still alive that could pose a threat.

Panaka led Sabe through the building towards the courtyard. He stopped as they approached the droid hideaway.

"Go upstairs and cover me. I'm going to get one of those starfighters."

Sabe obeyed his order and ran up to the second level, where she positioned herself behind an open window overlooking the yard. A minute later she saw Panaka venture his way outside. She waited until one of the wandering droids spotted him. As it leveled its blaster, Sabe pulled out hers and shot the droid straight through the neck.

Now with his presence known, Panaka pulled out two blasters and shot in every direction. He took down two droids before they had a chance to react, then ducked and rolled along the ground as the enemy fire came, his finger never resting from the trigger. From her window, Sabe continued to mow down lines of droids. Not wanting to accidentally hit Panaka as he moved closer to the midst of the action, she concentrated her fire on the outlying droids that were trying to snipe down the Royal Guardsman.

Still on the ground, Panaka's legs shot up from under him, each foot kicking a droid squarely on the chest while he extended both his arms and shot two approaching droids simultaneously. As he landed on his feet, Panaka ducked again while a blast whizzed by above him, barely clipping the top of his head before making its way right onto the head of another incoming droid. As the enemy's numbers were now thinning, Panaka fell into a roll once again, moving swiftly behind a droid. With three quick bursts of the blaster, he hit first the weapon out of its hand, then fried the circuits of its artificial arms. He then crouched behind it, pushing it forward as it took the bulk of the shots meant for him.

"Sabe, get down here and find yourself a ship."

Unfortunately, with the grinding roar of the machinery behind her, the Handmaiden failed to hear Panaka's order. Sabe found herself in a trance as she continued to pick off droid after droid. In her focus, however, she did not see a droid spot her in her position and fire a shot up at her window.

The blast hit her squarely in the knee. The burning pain that seemed to engulf her entire body shocked her and Sabe saw her fingers slip on the blaster in her hand. The weapon fell out of the window, and in a desperate attempt to recover it, Sabe forgot the injury to her lower leg. Standing up, she reached out the window but her fingers found only the air. Her knee gave away and losing her balance, Sabe followed the blaster down onto the courtyard cement.

Panaka heard a scream behind him and looked just in time to see the Handmaiden fall headfirst onto the pavement and hear a sickening crunch indicating a broken neck. Cursing to himself, he hardened his resolve as he pushed the piece of dead metal further ahead, and under its cover he took down the remaining droids, including the one who found Sabe as its target.

With the coast clear for his escape, Panaka looked back at the contorted body of the Handmaiden whose role had been so pivotal in the skirmish. Knowing that he had no time for sentiments, Panaka quietly whispered a Nubian prayer and ran towards the line of starfighters.

* * *

"Mom! Dad! Get in here!" 

Sola's voice barked sharply through the Naberrie household. Ruwee wandered in drowsily and was soon followed by Jobal still clutching a spatula in her hand. They saw their daughter staring at the Holo-net broadcast, protectively clutching their granddaughter in her arms.

"Any sign of your sister?"

"No."

"I can't believe she left without saying goodbye," Jobal grumbled, waving the spatula in the air for effect.

"I hope that boy can protect her," Sola replied while never taking her eyes of the transmission. "They're back. The droids are back."

Ruwee gasped as he saw the crumbled remains of Ladru and the occupied streets of Theed on the Holo. Jobal collapsed onto the couch in shock.

"My baby. She's out there."

Ruwee sat down and put his arm around his wife.

"Padme's a survivor, my darling. She'll find a way out of this. We're all in the same danger right now. Who knows? Padme will probably end up saving us."

"The Governor's coming on the air," Sola announced as the image on the Holo changed.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Jobal cried as Duu Repsaj organized his notes and looked into the cameras with several layers of lines under his weary eyes.

"My fellow Nubians. It is with the utmost regret that I shoulder the burden of informing you of the ongoing invasion. The Trade Federation has once again encroached onto our sovereign planet. Ladru has fallen, and I am currently under Neimoidian supervision in the Theed Palace.

"Furthermore, I regret that we cannot expect any help from the Republic or Jedi this time, as this invasion and occupation is, I repeat, is without a doubt, legal."

The Governor sighed and his eyes portrayed the perfect picture of pain and betrayal.

"I will regret for the rest of my life the words I will impart to you now, but I must do my duty. The Viceroy has given me a treaty signed by the Queen herself. Apparently, Queen Amidala on behalf of Naboo has agreed to surrender and transfer its sovereignty over to the Trade Federation. Again, I repeat, the occupation of this planet is, unfortunately, perfectly legal.

"I cannot imagine what possessed our outstanding Queen, who has served us so bravely for five years, to commit such an action. The motive might be monetary though, as the Viceroy has indicated to me that in the agreement, the Queen stands to receive a portion of the Trade Federation proceeds in a private account in Coruscant.

"It is also now apparent that the recent assassination attempt was coordinated by central figures in the Royal Court to divert our attention from the impending invasion. My fellow Nubians, more battalions will be on its way, and there is nothing any one of us can do about that. I implore each and every one of you to proceed with extreme caution. Do not attempt resist the Trade Federation representatives in any way. Stay in your homes, and you will be safe.

"The Queen herself is supposedly in hiding in her hometown from her assassins. If anyone spots her, it is crucial that she is brought to Theed so that she can work with the government and the Trade Federation and mitigate the damage. However, in her absence, I will do my best to negotiate with the Viceroy and hopefully come to a peaceful resolution that will be beneficial to our planet.

"My fellow Nubians, the night of occupation is upon us once more. It is important that in our darkest hour we stick together as a planet. Protect each other, and protect your lives. I wish you the best of luck."

The speech ended, and the footage cut away to more shots droids forces landing in different provinces of the Planet.

The Naberrie household remained in a silent state of shock.

"I do not believe this for a second," Sola muttered. "Padme will never betray us."

"We have to warn her," Ruwee said as he clutched his wife's hand. "Where's the comlink?"

* * *

Anakin struggled with the Queen's luggage as he watched Padme prance happily towards the resort building wedged beautifully between the pristine blue waters of the lake and the majestic green mountains that surrounded it. He had never seen such scenery before in his life.

"It's amazing, this place."

"I know," Padme proclaimed joyfully. "I used to come here when I was a child and do nothing but swim and hike all day."

"I could stay here forever." Anakin walked through the doorway and set down Padme's belongings.

"There's something special about this place. I had a dream once, that I was getting married on that balcony over there."

"Really? Who was the lucky groom?"

"I don't remember."

"Was it that gentleman you danced with in the ball?"

"Prince Medne?" Padme let out a snort of disgust. "I can't stand him. That slimy man has been after me for years now."

Anakin breathed inwardly a sigh of relief. His reaction, however, did not go unnoticed by Padme.

"Why Ani," Padme asked playfully. "Are you jealous?"

"Oh, no. No." Anakin prayed that he wasn't blushing. "Jedi aren't allowed to be jealous. The shadow of greed, jealousy is."

He cracked his voice sharply for the last sentence in an imitation of the Master Yoda. Padme laughed, and Anakin amazed at the width of her smile and her perfect ivory teeth.

"You sound like a frog."

"What's a frog?"

"It's this little jumping animal that lives by the lakes."

Padme grabbed and tugged on Anakin's hand.

"Come on, I'll show you around."

Neither one of them heard the comlink ringing from the speeder.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The cold night wind blew turbulently across the lake, manipulating the cool waters with ease. Each passing wave that hit the darkened shore struck a chord of terror in Anakin's heart. It had been a happy day for him, a day of joyful play and laughter with the woman he loved. But each moment of happiness he felt left traces of a chilling reminder of what he had to lose. And what he had already lost.

As he stood on the balcony, he held his two hands up in the air, palms outstretched and facing the lake. He concentrated on the Force and tried to will the lake to calm and the waters to subside. Nothing happened. He tried again, this time pitting himself against the wind. It just seemed to blow harder onto his face. The waves, meanwhile, kept crashing into the land.

He was frustrated now. Anakin realized that he hated the wind, he hated the lake, and he hated the waves. He focused on his emotions, using it as a weapon against the forces of nature. Sparks began to form on the tips of his fingers. Just as they were beginning to extend themselves from his hands, Anakin felt a calming presence coming up behind him. The fire dimmed, but didn't extinguish, as it waited for its next chance to ignite.

"Can't sleep again," Anakin asked after he turned around to face Padme.

"You're up, too."

She walked up to the edge of the balcony, overlooking the lake and the inherent wind. Anakin in one smooth motion took off his robe and wrapped it around Padme, who breathed a sigh of contentment in response.

"Why can't you sleep?"

"Why can't you?"

"I asked you first."

Padme remained silent, instead choosing to adjust the hood of Anakin's robe as if to cover her eyes from the breeze.

"I just feel guilty about staying here while everyone else is slaving over me. My handmaidens and guards are probably working through the night trying to find my killers, and my family's still worried sick about me."

Anakin stepped forward and tentatively placed his arm around her back, bringing his fingers to rest on Padme's shoulder.

"You're a Queen, milady. Their job is to serve you. And you're parents, you told me that it was for the best, that you will return soon to see them."

"I did, didn't I?" Padme turned her head to wistfully look into her companion's eyes. "Do you ever get the feeling, Anakin, that things out there are happening and you just have no control over them?"

He released his grip on Padme's shoulder almost immediately and stumbled backwards as the question stuck him, collapsing finally in a corner under the alcove. Padme ran over to him in concern.

"Ani! Are you alright?"

"Every second of my life," Anakin whispered, barely paying any heed to her second question. "Every second of my life, I feel like the world is slipping by me, and I can't do anything but watch."

He clenched his teeth in between sentences.

"But I'm a Jedi. I'm supposed to have control! Even more than that, I'm the Chosen One, created by the Force itself. How can the Force be so helpless?"

"Ani, don't forget, you're just a kid."

"The Jedi don't seem to think so. Obi-Wan and the Masters push me harder than all the other Padawans in the Temple just because I'm supposed to bring balance to their stupid Force. What if I don't want to bring balance? What if I don't want to be the Chosen One? Why don't I have a say in this?"

Anakin was screaming now, with tears beginning to form in his eyes. Padme took a seat on the ground next to him and signaled him to continue. As unpleasant as it was, this was what she had wanted to hear from him from the very first day he returned to Naboo.

"I have…all of the burdens of being the Chosen One, without having any of its privileges. I hate the Jedi! I hate all of them! And I hate being the Chosen One!"

"Is this why you ran away?"

Anakin shook his head as his demeanor seemed to shift from anger to despair. Tears continued to run down his face, and he sniffled his nose a couple of times in order to clear his mind.

"I couldn't sleep. I had nightmares."

He hesitated.

"Of what?"

"My mother. She was in pain. She was suffering. I felt it as clearly as I feel the wind right now. Obi-Wan told me they were just dreams. I believed him at first, but the nightmares remained the same, every single night. Weeks passed, and I couldn't take it anymore. I sneaked out of my quarters one night and stole a starship."

"Was your mother OK?"

This time it was Padme who put her arm around him and clasped down on his hand, hoping to reassure him. She prayed for the best but feared knowingly that Anakin would confirm her darker suspicions. He, in turn, gave her a sardonic grin.

"She was actually freed. Can you believe that? Watto had sold her to a moisture farmer, who deactivated her chip the moment he bought her."

The smile turned into a frown.

"They were on their way to Mos Eisley, according to Watto. I found the remains of their speeder in the Dune Sea. The bodies of the moisture farmer and his son, I think, were already beyond rot."

Her grasp on his hand tightened.

"I knew she was still alive, Padme! I felt her. I felt her pain, her suffering. I don't know if I can explain this. I just felt it so intensely, I absorbed it. And the Force guided me to where she was.

"They held her in one of their camps, tied up to a post with her arms stretched out to both sides. They must have beaten her so hard, for so long, and yet, she was still alive. I cut my way into her tent in the middle of the night, and freed her."

Silence. She didn't try to rush him. Finally, he spoke again, his voice barely audible.

"She barely had the time to whisper to me that she loved me before she died."

It was as if she already knew, but still Padme's sucked in a mouthful of air in horror. She didn't let it out until he started whispering again.

"I just stood there for Sith knows how long. What was I supposed to do? My mother died. It felt like…the entire galaxy was dead to me. I didn't care about the Jedi anymore. I hated them. I hated them for not letting me save her."

"They deserve your hate, Ani. For that, they deserve anyone's hate."

Padme stated her words softly but resolutely as she remembered the kind and compassionate woman who let her son risk her life to help them escape. Shmi was just as responsible for Naboo's salvation as her son, the Gungans, the Royal Guard, and the Jedi. Padme regretted that she had not done more for her in the aftermath of the invasion. It just never crossed her mind with all of the rebuilding work she had to supervise.

Anakin soon sensed her guilt.

"It's not your fault, Padme. It's my fault for not leaving sooner, and it's the Jedi's. They pushed me, but then they refused to teach me what I needed to know. They held me back. I would have died if I didn't figure it out on my own."

"Figure what out?"

"The Tuskens soon found about my presence. I tried to kill as many as I could, but I was outnumbered. I lost my lightsaber somewhere during the fighting, so all I could do was run. I ran as fast as I could, but I got lost in the canyon. They had me cornered in a cave. The entire tribe was ready to kill me."

"I was ready to die. But I didn't want to. I wasn't afraid of death. I just hated them so much. I hated what they did to my mother, I hated that they had me beaten, and I hated the satisfaction they were going to get from my death. I don't know what happened next. Somehow, energy…lightning, started coming out of my fingers. It killed them all. Slowly. But it killed every last one of them."

"It saved me too," Padme reminded as she recounted the all too recent attempt on her life.

"But Obi-Wan didn't teach it to me, did he? He would rather have us both dead."

"I'm sure he doesn't wish any ill on us, Ani," Padme reasoned as her diplomatic wheels clicked into gear. "Look, a lot has happened in the last few weeks, and it's not your fault. Maybe I can help you work something out with the Jedi. I am a Queen, after all."

"It's too late for that, Padme. The Jedi probably want me dead too."

"Why?"

"I was standing in the middle of all the dead Tuskens, and I didn't even notice Master Mundi approach. He saw me there, his eyes grew wide, and I saw him pull out his lightsaber. I just ran until I found the speeder I had borrowed from Watto. He chased me through the canyon, but I knew the territory and I'm a better pilot. I steered the speeder through this really sharp turn. He continued after me. He didn't make the turn."

"I rode through the desert for weeks. All I wanted to do was to kill. I tracked down countless tribes of Tuskens, and I slaughtered them all with the Jedi Lightning."

He looked at Padme hesitantly, awaiting her judgment.

"Did it make you feel good?"

"No, but it took the pain away, at least for awhile. It was all I lived for, until one day I stumbled upon a tribe chasing these two kids, a boy and a girl…they couldn't have been older then nine or ten years old. I killed the Tuskens, but…as I looked into the eyes of those two kids, I knew I just didn't have it in me anymore. I couldn't live the rest of my life only because I wanted to kill."

"That's when you came here."

"Yes."

His confession complete, Anakin wiped away the remaining evidences of his crying and stood up.

"I understand Padme, if you want me to leave. After all, a Queen shouldn't be associated with a murderer."

"No," she protested. As she rose she returned to him his robe and wrapped both her arms around him. "I don't want you to leave."

Anakin's voice began to choke up again.

"Jedi aren't allowed to hate," he said weakly. "Why do I hate?"

"You're a human, Anakin. You're a just a boy who just lost his mother."

"So the Jedi are wrong then?"

She paused as she wondered whether it was her place to question the same esteemed order that had helped save her planet.

"Everyone can be right and wrong, from their point of view."

Anakin's blue eyes bore into hers, awaiting their final closure.

"And from my point of view, the Jedi were wrong to keep you from your mother, and I'll defend that to my dying breath."

He fell back onto the ground without a word, pulling Padme down along with him. It didn't matter than he was breaking down in front of his beloved, soiling her dress with his tears. He would offer her his awkward apology and eternal gratitude later; right now Anakin just needed the unconditional acceptance and comfort of another human being.

* * *

"Two minutes until we come out of hyperspace."

Obi-Wan barely heard the words of Master Gallia in his failed attempts to meditate. He cursed at their destination: the lush, green planet of Naboo.

"I have already lost a Master here," he said to himself. "Am I going to lose a Padawan also?"

"They are not yours to lose, Master Kenobi. Have you forgotten that?"

He did not have an answer.

"A great Knight you are, Master Kenobi, but even the wisest of us most not forget to heed the Jedi Code."

"You speak of my supposed attachments," he said unemotionally. Adi nodded in response. "Is it wrong for me to care about my Padawan? To have a bond with him?"

"No, but he is your Padawan only if he chooses to be. Skywalker has made his choice evident. He was never yours, Master Kenobi. Treat him as such."

"It's your intention for me to kill him in cold blood, then."

"Perhaps he can still be saved."

The sound of the ship's systems interrupted their conversation, and Adi Gallia left to take her place in the cockpit. Obi-Wan followed her and buckled himself into the chair next to her.

"But," she continued, "don't let your emotions lead you to faith in him that he does not deserve."

The sight of the droid control ship and the bulk of the Trade Federation fleet proved to be ominously familiar to Obi-Wan as their ship emerged out of hyperspace.

_"Holy Mother of Yoda!"_

"I was under the impression," Master Gallia said calmly but sharply, "that the Trade Federation had been demilitarized." She banked their fighter sharply to the right to avoid colliding with a droid vessel. Taking notice of the intruder, the automated ship swerved around to begin its pursuit.

"We must report this to the Council as soon as possible," Obi-Wan shouted as he activated their ship's weapons.

"This will definitely make our mission harder."

The Jedi vessel shook as a blast from the droid fighter scraped their hull.

"I just hope," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath, "that my Padawan isn't responsible for all this."

* * *

The crying had stopped. His body sprawled across the floor while his head lay still in her lap. Guessing that he was asleep, she yawned in exhaustion. It was all too much to think about, and a part of her refused to believe the innocent boy dozing under her gaze had killed countless people.

No, not people, Padme told herself. From what she had heard about them, the Tusken Raiders were more animal than man. She asked herself what she would have done had her mother been taken away from her in such a gruesome fashion. If she had even half the powers Anakin had, Padme imagine that few people would want to be the object of her wrath. She may be a Queen and a noted diplomat, but in her heart Padme knew that she was first and foremost a daughter and a sister. An aunt too, she reminded herself. Had she been neglecting that role for too long now?

Putting aside her own guilt, Padme resolved that she was in no place to judge Anakin. She had not been a slave, she had not been taken from her family, and she had not returned to them only to see them die in her arms. It was a wonder of the Force itself that Anakin still had to strength to go on living.

He needed help though, she could not deny that. It would take years for his scars to heal, if they ever healed at all. And she pledged to do whatever she could to help him. Padme wished that he could always be the boy she saw today, laughing as he ran around the Shaaks in the meadow, shivering after his first dip into a watery lake, and sloppily wiping his mouth after gorging on the plentiful servings the staff provided. Anakin had the potential to be so happy, and yet in the blink of an eye he would turn into the quiet, brooding creature that she encountered in those first days of their reunion. But then she understood his motives now; in fact, Padme berated herself for being too hard on his moods back when they were in the palace.

The wind had died down now, and as she leaned her back onto the stone wall, Padme felt a comforting warmth creep up her body as she fell asleep.

* * *

_He stood under the waterfall. It was a soft trickle at first, and the drips of the smooth liquid tickled and massaged his skin. The downpour quickly grew intense. Within seconds, the water was beating down on him, and he struggled to keep his feet. His knees soon began to give away, and he felt his left foot slipping on the rocky surface below him. He fell face-forward onto the muddy surface, the water still pounding on his back. There was nothing he could do now. He closed his eyes and waited for the ordeal to be over._

_His back felt like it was on fire. He opened his eyes and saw that the waves of water had transformed into fiery tendrils. The world around him was burning. There were other people in the area, all running about with no direction. Some were screaming in fear while others were shouting in anger. He saw a small group trapped in the onslaught. Anakin's eyes grew wide when he recognized their identities._

_They burned._

_The high-pitched cry of an infant pierced sharply through the fire before it was silenced._

_A sudden impact. And then darkness._

He awoke to find that his entire wardrobe was drenched with sweat. Padme stirred immediately, and Anakin also recoiled in embarrassment when he realized that he had passed out in front of her. The fiery echoes of his dream rapidly pushed away any thoughts of humiliation, however, and Anakin urgently shook the Queen awake.

"Padme! Padme! Wake up!"

"Ani?" She was shocked to see the petrified look on his face. "Ani, what's wrong?"

"Danger! I…I saw it! We have to go back to Varykino, before it's too late!"

* * *

Well, that's the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. We're fast approaching the climax of this story though, and I would definitely appreciate it a lot if you let me know what you think of it and how you like the direction it is going in. Thanks for reading! 


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for taking so long. It's been a busy few weeks for me. However, before reading on, please read the following disclaimer.

* * *

Disclaimer: The following chapter contains a good amount of violent and intense scenes. Though they are not too graphic, they may prove to be very intense for some. Please read with care.

* * *

Chapter 12

It had already been an hour since their hasty departure from the resort. Seeing the lines of trauma written on his face, Padme decided not to question his judgment. After all, hadn't he already saved her life? She knew that Anakin could see things that she couldn't even begin to perceive. Perhaps it was better that she did not know what she could not see. It was in that line of thinking that she had yet to question Anakin on his most recent nightmare. But not surprisingly, with her mental complacency came the pestering notions of doubt, most often embodied by the baritone voice of Queen Amidala.

_How could you trust your life to a mere boy_, the Queen asked. _What did he do the last time he had these so-called visions? I guess that mass-murder isn't that much of an issue in the long run._ Padme had to admit that Anakin wasn't one for careful analysis of each situation or scenario.

"Anakin." She leaned her head forward towards his ear. "What exactly did you see?"

He gave no reply at first. Instead, he focused on piloting the speeder through the moonlit meadows at speeds high enough to win any podrace. Finally, he told her without looking back:

"I saw a fire. And your family, your mother, father, sister…they were all in the fire. And Pooja, she was crying…"

Padme's face paled, and her grip on Anakin's arms tightened.

"No…it…that…can't happen."

"I saw it, Padme. I felt it."

"Just…drive. Hurry."

"I won't let you down Padme."

"It's not your burden," she whispered into the wind, away from his ears.

* * *

"Mom," Sola offered weakly. It seems to have been an eternity that Jobal had been staring outside the second floor window.

"There's more of them," she said in a grim, low tone. "I counted forty this past hour. I don't know how long it's going to be before the Royal Guard can't restrain them any further."

"Mom, Darrad's here, and he brought a speeder with him. Dad and Pooja are already packed downstairs. We have to leave."

"Padme. She's not safe. What if she…"

"She won't come back here mom. Padme wouldn't want us to stay here with the mob." Sola walked up to her mother and wrapped her arms around her.

"Padme wouldn't have done something like that. It's not in her nature."

"I know, mama. I'm sure she'll take care of this misunderstanding. She knows better than us."

They rushed down the stairs to the back entrance, where Ruwee and Darred were already waiting with the baby.

"Did you grab all your belongings," asked Ruwee to his wife.

"There is no time," Darred whispered as he walked over to Sola and handed her their daughter. "The mob hasn't reached the alleyway yet. If we hurry we can still escape their attention."

"I can't believe they would think our daughter could do that," Jobal sobbed.

Darred grabbed two briefcases and quickened his pace to the speeder that awaited them in the backyard.

"It is a confusing time," he said. "The people are scared, and the Governor is a convincing politician."

"He is a mere politician," Jobal argued back. "My daughter is the Queen."

"To many people, they are all the same. Only the Governor had the advantage of speaking first."

He looked around nervously as the distant chanting of the panicked protesters echoed loudly around them. The young architect ushered the Naberrie family out into crisp night air.

Sola was the first to notice.

"Who is that?"

"Who is what?"

"The man in your speeder."

Sure enough, they saw beams of moonlight reflecting sharply off a smooth dark silhouette in Darred's vehicle. The mystery man exited the speeder abruptly and seemed to glide menacingly towards the family.

"Don't move," he ordered. His voice was muffled by the durasteel armor that covered him from head to toe. "Drop your belongings, and we'll step inside."

Jobal's eyes widened when she saw the two blasters pointed at them, and Sola clutched her baby protectively.

* * *

"We've have two droids pursuing us."

"And a million of them in front of us."

"What do you think we should do, Master Kenobi?"

"Well, you are the Jedi Master here," said Obi-Wan as he configured the ship's computers, "but if I have any say in this, we go after my Padawan."

From his co-pilot's seat Obi-Wan pushed down on the acceleration lever while Adi Gallia navigated their ship through the throng of Trade Federation fighters.

"Three minutes to the surface," Adi stated as she examined the readings, "if we make it that far."

"It shouldn't be a problem" Obi-Wan assured her even as he harbored his own doubts. Master Gallia was a very competent pilot, a better one than himself, but when it came to a quagmire like the one he found himself in right now, there was no one else he trusted more in the pilot's seat than Anakin, adolescence and all.

_I'll get you back, my Padawan. I'll save you from the darkness_.

His resolve hardened, Obi-Wan manned the ship's guns as Adi took the starfighter into a barrel roll to avoid the cascade of incoming missiles.

"We really need to get single-pilot fighters," Obi-Wan remarked. "I feel so useless just sitting here."

"I thought you didn't like to fly," Adi retorted. The fighter rocketed towards one of the Trade Federation control ships, and she banked hard to the right and pulled the skiff up to avoid crashing into it.

"Flying's not my forte," Obi-Wan remarked as he pulled his insides together, "but I don't much like dying, either."

"Are you criticizing my flying, Master Kenobi?"

"Oh no, Master Gallia. It's slightly less nauseating than my Padawan's."

He thought he saw Adi smile for the first time of their trip. It quickly faded as remembered the context of their mission.

"Maybe I'll have a chat with Master Yoda about it."

A red light flashed on the ship's communications counter.

"That's odd," Obi-Wan remarked. "Someone's trying to signal us, but there's nothing out here but droid fighters."

"Patch it in," Adi ordered. "Maybe it's Trade Federation control."

"No, it's definitely coming from one of these ships."

The computer beeped, indicating that the connection was secure.

"This is Jedi Master Adi Gallia. Please state your business."

"It's quite the relief to see a representative of the Republic out here," spoke a deep male voice from the other end. "I am Captain Panaka, head of the Royal Guard of Naboo. May I inquire, Master Jedi, how you were informed of this invasion."

"We are actually here on a separate mission. The Trade Federation's presence in this system has caught us by surprise."

"It was a surprise to us, as well."

Obi-Wan noticed several droid fighters circling around Panaka's ship. He made a motion to Adi, who caught his meaning and steered the ship down behind their new ally. Obi-Wan quickly blasted the enemy fighters out of the sky.

"Thank you, Master Jedi."

"Glad to be of service," Obi-Wan replied.

"Captain Panaka," Adi interrupted, "do you know the whereabouts of our colleague, Ranakin Skyesolo?"

"He is with the Queen, escorting and protecting her."

"I see. It appears that his comlink may be broken. Do you know of any way in which we can reach him."

"All I know is that Queen Amidala and Master Ranakin should be in the Varykino area, on the other side of the planet. It is possible that he is still not aware of this invasion."

"Thank you, Captain. You have aided us tremendously."

"My thanks go to you, Master Jedi, for giving me cover. I must reach Coruscant and inform the Chancellor of this attack."

"Very well. We will cover you until you reach hyperspace."

* * *

The bounty hunter struck his solid fist out again, this time making violent contact with Jobal's face. Sola gasped afterwards when she saw blood running out of her mother's broken nose.

"I ask you again, where is the Queen?"

"I do not know," Jobal repeated. "My daughter is a simple handmaiden. We do not know…"

"Shut up!" He smacked her again, this time aiming for her jaw. "Don't play games with me, foolish woman. I know your daughter is the Queen."

"You are a coward," Ruwee shouted, "picking on helpless women."

Both he and Darred were bound to a chair with their hands tied up behind them. Ruwee could only hear the blows raining down on his wife as his eyes were bloody and swollen from the torture. Darred sat weakly in his seat, his broken legs and kneecaps dangling helplessly above the floor. The women had their appendages free of any bondage as the bounty hunter did not expect any threat from them. Pooja lay alone on the wooden table, whimpering softly for her parents.

Jango Fett cursed in anger. For all the pain he had inflicted on this family, they still had not said a useful word. They were strong, but years of experience taught him that everyone had a breaking point. If physical pain was not the answer, then perhaps he would try another method. Jango walked over to the kitchen table and picked up the infant girl that lay upon.

"If you do not tell me the whereabouts of the Queen, I will kill her."

"No," Sola shouted. She sprang up from her chair and ran at the bounty hunter, pounding uselessly onto his armor. "You monster! Kill us, but she's just a baby! She's innocent."

Jango shoved her back roughly, and Sola crashed onto the ground.

"Choose, woman! Your sister, or your daughter?"

_She does not deserve this. My wife should never have to make such a choice. I will make it for her._

"She is at the lake," Darred shouted. "Padme is at the Resche Lake Retreat."

Sola gazed at her husband in shock. Jobal simply leapt from her seat and charged onto Darred's, knocking them both onto the ground.

"How could you? My daughter! My baby! How could you?"

"Pathetic." As Jango looked at the scene before him with disdain, he laid one outstretched palm onto Pooja's head. The baby let a sharp scream before it was silenced forever. A quick twist of the neck had ended her short life.

"Pooja," several members of the family cried out at once. Even Jobal's attention shifted to the infant girl's last cry.

"Pooja is dead." Jango unceremoniously tossed the tiny corpse out the down onto the backyard lawn. "And you will all follow her path."

Anticipating a reaction from Sola, he kicked her in the stomach.

"Get up," the killer ordered, once again pointing his blasters at the unarmed family. "Untie your husbands, and walk outside. We don't want to make a mess of this lovely house, do we?"

If Jango Fett had not been wearing a helmet, the entire family would have been able to see his grin.

* * *

He sensed it several minutes before they actually arrived at Varykino. A mixture of confusion, panic, fear anger, and hatred composed the aura that surrounded the tiny village. He sensed danger, too; a malicious intent that he had last felt during the assassination attempt.

"Something is seriously wrong," he told Padme. He heard voices now from far away, resonating from its source in the village. Random and agitated shouts of mad fervor. "Do you here that?"

Padme tuned her ears.

"Maybe. I'm not sure what I'm listening for."

"Me either. We'll find out when we get there, I guess."

As if they weren't already going fast enough, Anakin pushed the acceleration as far down as he could, trying to avert whatever dark fates poised to threaten Padme's family. The background noise kept increasing the closer they got until it was obviously apparent to both of them despite the roar of the speeder's engine.

The village of Varykino had an eerie red glow surrounding it. Though the roar of a crowd was ever present, as they passed through it Padme noticed that the outskirts of the town was completely silent. It was strange to her, as the streets of her hometown always bustled with friendly activity. Even when it was late, she would often see the University students walking home from a late-night study session or stumbling around in the aftermath of their festive and carnal activities. Now, the village seemed completely abandoned.

It became increasingly evident that the absence of the townspeople was attributed to a mob that gathered near the center of the town. Quiet neighbors that Padme had known for years were running around with crazed expressions in their eyes. Men carried torches, pitchforks, and crude sticks as they marched angrily through the town. Many teenagers were pillaging their way through the village market, often getting into fights with others who wanted their loot.

"Ani, what is going on?"

"The people are scared." Anakin revved his speeder loudly in order to clear his way through the ever-denser crowd. "I can feel their fear, and their anger."

"My family! Are they safe?"

"I don't know. These people are slowing us down."

The numbers of the mob continued to increase exponentially until they reached the archway outside of Padme's home, where Anakin was forced to stop the speeder completely. It was obvious now that the mob had one target for their dissent and animosity. It was also apparent that the watchmen assigned to control the crowds were only minutes away from being overcome by them completely.

_"Arrest the traitors!"_

_"Kill the Queen! Kill the Queen!"_

_"Death to the Naberries!"_

Padme listened to the protests in horror.

"What…why? What have I done? Why would they say this?"

"I don't think we can afford to find out. We have to get inside your house, Padme. I sense another danger, far worse than these people, and he's already here."

Instantly forgetting about the mob, the wheels clicked on in Padme's head as she focused on a to save her family.

"Turn around, and take a left. There is a small alleyway that will lead to my backyard. It's fenced in behind another house, so we won't have to worry about anyone crowding it."

Anakin engaged the speeder again, but in their temporary stop someone had already recognized the now infamous passenger on it.

_"There she is! There's the traitor!"_

"Hurry," Anakin yelled. He felt several objects propelling towards them and instinctively batted them away with the Force. To his dismay, Padme stood up in the speeder and faced the crowd.

"People, I beseech you," Padme yelled as tears ran down her eyes. "Why are you doing this? Why are you attacking my family? What have I done to deserve your wrath?"

The answers rained back at her.

_"What haven't you done?"_

_"You've doomed us all!"_

_"Look at her, carousing with her lover while Theed burns!"_

"Theed is burning?" Utterly confused now, Padme shrank back into her seat while Anakin continued to create a Force shield around them to prevent the stones and other projectiles from reaching their destination.

_"The Trade Federation will kill us all!"_

"_Don't pretend ignorance!"_

"_All of Naboo is burning!"_

_"How dare you show your face around here? After you sold us all out!"_

The facts clicked into place in her head, and though she still did not possess the complete picture, Padme shrieked out in agony. It was happening again, she realized at last. Her planet was under attack again, and for some reason the people blamed her.

Anakin could feel the hurt in her heart, and it enraged them that these people had inflicted such a pain into Padme. He was her protector, and no one was going hurt her in any way.

"Liars! You all lie! How could you accuse your own Queen of such things?"

His statements only seemed to incite more fury into the crowd, and several of the unrulier members charged at the solitary speeder. In response, Anakin Force-pushed them back violently into the walls. More came, and again they ran into an invisible wall that shoved them roughly onto their backs.

As they found themselves surrounded on all sides, Anakin pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it. With his other hand he began to send out the beginnings of electrical currents into the air.

"Back off," he ordered. "Do not make me kill you all!"

"Anakin, no," Padme warned, but her words did not prevent the mob from advancing. Anakin sprang up from his seat and sliced his lightsaber in a forward arc, striking through several of the villagers. He shot lightning out of the other hand to hinder the efforts of the mob on the other side. It was soon obvious that the lightning was a much more efficient way of disposing of the crowd, so Anakin disarmed his saber and shot out electricity from both hands, effectively creating a barrier between the mob and their speeder. All who stood towards the front of the crowd screamed out in pain, and the others, seeing an impossible situation, backed away warily.

Suddenly he heard a sharp cry beyond the deafening chorus of the mob. Anakin's face paled, and tapping as deep as he could into his plentiful reserves of power, Anakin Force pushed everyone that blocked his way back. With a little room to work with, he accelerated the speeder and forced his way through the crowd, barely aware of the dozens of people that he was running over.

They left behind a bloody trail of maimed citizens all the way until at Padme's signal he turned into a private driveway. Anakin found the alleyway soon afterwards, and when they arrived at the middle of it he stopped the speeder. Padme saw the boy sink into a deep concentration, and suddenly heard a deep rumbling sound. Bricks began to fall back at the entranceway of the alley, and soon both surrounding walls imploded onto the ground, blocking the path from the mob. Without hesitation, Anakin piloted the speeder through the last legs of their journey.

Padme gasped when they pulled into her backyard. The same assassin that had tried to kill her only days ago now had her entire family lined up on the exterior of their house.

"I want you to look at me before I kill you," Jango had ordered only seconds ago. He relished the look in his victims' eyes the moment before their deaths, and he took in a morbid satisfaction from the fact that his eyes were kept hidden from them. It gave him a sense of psychological advantage and a feeling of superiority.

Just as he was about to pull the triggers, he heard the roar of a motor in the distance. He hesitated just long enough for the mother to shout out a warning.

"No Padme! Get back! It's a trap!"

A second later the Queen's speeder revealed itself, and Jango knew he had to work quickly. He had no orders to kill the Naberrie family, but Jango had vowed that he would exact vengeance for his earlier indignation and physical pain. What better way than to kill his bounty's parents, he reasoned. Especially now, when he had an unexpected opportunity to perform the deed right in front of the Queen's eyes.

With his lightning quick reflexes Jango's fingers pulled the triggers on his twin blasters again and again as the figures in front of him crumpled onto the ground. A moment later he too was on the ground, the victim of a Force push by the Jedi.

"Nooo!" Padme tripped over the speeder as she tried to jump out of it. She hit the ground just as a blast flew past where her head had been a half-second ago. More blasts continued her way, but Anakin deflected every one of them back. In his cover, Padme ran towards her fallen family. She made it to the doorway when she tripped over another object. As she propped her arms up on the grass, Padme gazed appallingly at the object she had tripped on: the corpse of her deceased niece.

"Pooja!" Her hand felt something, and she saw that it was the bloody ankle of Pooja's mother.

"Sola! Mummy! Dad!"

Sola's lifeless eyes stared past her, seemingly never having left the sight of her dead daughter. Sprawled up against her with his head in her lap lay Darred, with blaster wounds through his chest. Padme vomited at the grotesque sight ahead of her, when she finally lay her eyes onto her fallen parents. Mercifully her dad had already slumped forward onto the ground with his face in the grass so that Padme could not see the full extent of the blaster shot through his head. Jobal lay on her stomach on top of her husband. Still clinging to life, she lifted her head up to see her crying daughter.

"Padme…my baby…"

"Mother," Padme cried. She reached out and grabbed her hand. Jobal's eyes never left her daughter's as she gazed onto her lovingly.

"Padme…love…you…"

"Mother, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Don't…I…lo…"

Her mom's head slumped back down, and Padme screamed painfully at the top of her lungs as her fists pounded the grounded repeatedly. The sound of blaster fire soon caught her attention, and she focused on the man who had been responsible for the slaughter.

"I hate you," she yelled in a voice that barely resembled hers anymore. "I hate you! Die! Anakin, kill him!"

Jango had barely time to heed the Queen's curses as he found the young Jedi charging at him and deflecting every one of his shots with hatred in his eyes. He had stopped aiming for the Queen now, since his own survival was a more pressing matter. The Queen's screams, however, distracted the Jedi. Taking advantage of this brief respite, Jango dropped one of his blasters and grabbed a tube on his back.

Anakin felt a searing sensation approach him and barely jumped out of the way as the bounty hunter's flame-thrower missed its mark. He rolled along the grass with the fires pursuing him every step of the way. Abruptly, the attack stopped.

"Padme! Get out of the way!"

Jango Fett's eyes didn't even see Anakin spring towards the Queen and tackle her away from where his flames struck only milli-seconds afterwards. Instead, all he scorched were the sprawling corpses on the ground and the side of the Naberrie house, which quickly caught on fire.

Suddenly, he was in a world of familiar pain. Jango fingers dropped the flame-tube and his entire body was paralyzed as it was engulfed in the lightning that shot from the young Jedi's hands. He tried to move his hand towards his back to activate his jet-pack, but his arm jerked and moved about spasmodically as the lightning came at him with increasing intensity.

Anakin continued to pour the electricity onto the hateful villain. He levitated him into the air and flipped him around; the jet-pack and the flame-tube was forcibly ripped off his back, and Anakin casually tossed the equipment into the fire that was now tearing through Padme's home. He set the bounty hunter down and ceased his electrical attack. Finally, Anakin gripped the man's blasters with the Force and flung them away.

His armor still smoking, Anakin approached the bounty hunter with his lightsaber lit.

"What is your name?"

No answer.

"I asked you," Anakin shouted angrily, "what is your name?"

He shot a current of lightning through the man for emphasis. His body jerked up at the sudden attack.

"My name is Jango Fett."

"Who hired you?"

Again there was no response. Anakin fried him again.

"Tell me, who hired you?"

He repeated the process several times, but it was clear that the rapidly fading Fett would not give away his employer. Anakin sighed in frustration as he gave up on that effort.

"I should kill you, for what you have done. And I will." He raised his lightsaber to make the final blow.

"Anakin, wait!"

Anakin looked back at Padme, who was walking slowly towards him with a grim resolve in her eyes.

"Give me your lightsaber."

He gave it to her without question.

Her mind lost in a cloud of rage, Padme did not even notice how light the weapon felt in her hand. She only saw the shimmering of the blue blade and the man, no the thing, that lay before her.

"Anakin, take off his mask. I want to see his eyes before he dies."

Shocked slightly at the coldness of Padme's voice, Anakin continued to use the Force to restrict the man's movements while he knelt down and pulled the helmet off of Jango Fett's head, revealing a tan-skinned man with a charred face and unfeeling eyes.

"Keep his head like that, Anakin, so that he is looking into my eyes."

Padme positioned herself above Jango and carefully moved the lightsaber so that it stood above the bounty hunter's left shoulder.

"I don't care if you tried to kill me, but what you have done to my family is unforg…" She couldn't finish the sentence as her tears overflowed her eyes. The three of them stood in that awkward standstill until Padme regained her composure. Her breathing short and abrupt, she started her execution.

"This is for Darred."

She lowered her the lightsaber slowly into the assassin's shoulder, taking several seconds for each inch. She ran the blade through the man's flesh until his left arm was completely separated from his body. Jango's face flinched in pain, but he did not make a sound.

"This is for my sister Sola."

She repeated the process with his right arm. Padme took two steps back, her eyes never leaving the bounty hunter's.

"This is for my Papa."

A tormenting minute later there was only one leg attached to the assassin's torso.

"This is for my Mother."

The blue blade sliced slowly and cleanly through the last remaining leg. Not yet satisfied, Padme spit onto the bounty hunter's face.

"And this, this is for little Pooja."

She stuck the lightsaber straight through his crotch, and Jango Fett finally screamed out in pain.

"Wherever you go after this, I hope you suffer."

The lightsaber found its way in, out, and through the bounty hunter's neck.

Her enemy dead, Padme closed her eyes and deactivated the lightsaber before releasing it absent-mindedly onto the ground. She couldn't bear to look at the killer anymore. To her dismay, the sight that greeted her when she turned around was her family and the house that she grew up in burning into ashes. Padme collapsed onto her knees and buried her face in her hands. With no need to restrain the bounty hunter anymore, Anakin picked up his dropped lightsaber and approached the weeping Queen.

She felt him approach, even though she couldn't see him.

"I never should have left. I should have stayed. You could have protected them here."

Anakin laid one hand on Padme's shoulder. He continued to grip his weapon with the other.

"It's not your fault, Padme."

"I never even said goodbye to them."

"You couldn't have known. No one could."

"That doesn't excuse me. I killed them, with my pride and my stubbornness."

"I couldn't save her either." The situation was all too familiar to Anakin. He barely heard himself as he found his mind stuck in a hellish purgatory somewhere between Varykino and Tatooine. The touch of Padme's skin brought him back to reality. Her fingers grazed his other hand until they laid themselves on the hilt of his lightsaber.

"Was that really me, Anakin? Did I really do that?"

"He deserved it. He killed your family. He deserved it."

"I know." Padme turned her head and looked Anakin in the eyes. "But…was it right for me to do that?"

He looked away.

"I don't know. Does it make you feel better?"

"No. No, it doesn't."

"I know. It never does."


	13. Chapter 13

As usual, thank you all so much for bearing with me and reading this. Again, I apologize that it's taken so long to get this chapter out.

* * *

Chapter 13

The world smelled of burnt hair to her. Her mother's hair, the hair that she would bury her face in when she was a child. Her sister's hair, the hair that should would pull when sentiments were bad, but more often, the hair that she would painstakingly design and braid when sentiments were good. She would never get a chance to touch them again. They burned, and all of Padme's best memories burned along with them.

Her entire world was bathed in shades of black and orange. Black like the eyes of the man that had slaughtered them, and orange like the flames that continued to consume their bodies and finish his work. Foreign tendrils of hatred began to creep into her mind. She had briefly entertained such thoughts before, in the darkest days of the Trade Federation invasion. Even then, the tragedy had not been so personal. Now that history was repeating itself Padme found that she could really care less about the Neimoidians.

And the people, the ones who used to be her people. Padme found herself cursing the same people that she had worked years to protect, for they were the same people that turned their backs on her so easily and allowed a mercenary to strip her family of whatever dignity they had.

Anakin softly rested his left hand on Padme's shoulder, aware that any small words or motions could break her spirit forever. He did not mean to probe her thoughts, but she was projecting her grief and her guilt so obviously that it was impossible for him not to pick up on it.

"They were brave to the very end," he said, addressing what he felt was Padme's concern. "I can feel it still, they did not have any fear for themselves. All they thought about was you."

To his dismay, Padme let out a shriek of unbearable agony and then broke into uncontrollable fits of sobbing. Unsure of his next step, Anakin knelt onto the grass alongside Padme and cradled his arm around her, hoping to comfort her the way she had comforted him only hours ago. Padme fell onto his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him, her hands strangely tugging at his hair.

"I never should have left," she said after the crying died down. "I thought I was doing the right thing, but I ended up killing them."

"Padme, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known."

"But I should have! I'm the Queen! I couldn't protect my planet, and I couldn't even protect my own family."

"You're a great Queen, Padme, but you're still a human being. You were tricked by someone. As was I. You made a decision you felt was right."

"But it wasn't right. And I didn't have the best intentions."

Padme stood up and began to pace in circles around the still seated Anakin.

"We ran away, Anakin. I allowed ourselves to be manipulated out of Theed because I wanted to get away from my job and the politicians, and I left this place because I didn't want to deal with my parents' and Sola's questions."

"Padme," Anakin pleaded, reaching his hand out in protest. "Don't…"

"I was wrong, Anakin. I was wrong for the wrong reasons." She looked back at the decapitated pieces of the assassin. "And I have committed a transgression even more…"

She stopped speaking, and as Anakin watched her painful expression change into one of blankness he was suddenly wary of a new feeling of despair tinged with determined resolve.

"NO!" Anakin leapt up and tackled Padme to the ground just as she was about to run forward towards the conflagration. He grabbed her arms and held them tightly against each other behind her back.

"Let me go," Padme yelled. She kicked her feet against the ground as she strove to break free of Anakin's grasp. "I do not deserve to live!"

"Yes you do!" Anakin motioned with his fingers at their surroundings. "What you don't deserve is any of this."

"Anakin…" Padme started, furious that the boy was not allowing her to do what she had to do. She looked into his eyes expecting to see the same rage, but instead was shocked to see them supplicating and wet from tears.

"Anakin," she tried to reason with him. "Please let go of me. There is nothing left for me on this world. My family, my people, my planet, I have destroyed them all."

"I'm still here, Padme," Anakin begged, his croaking voice sounding more like the boy she had known on Tatooine than the teenager that bound her arms together now through his sheer will.

"Please don't leave me. I need you."

The words pierced through Padme's heart, and the realization of her selfishness once again put her conscience to shame. She had been trying to run away again, this time from the pain that inflicted her heart, and in trying to do so she had forgotten about the fragile boy who had just experienced the same ordeal as she had only months ago.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"Padme," Anakin interrupted, again sensing her thoughts. "I am the one who is selfish, not you. I just cannot bear the thought of losing you."

Their conversation was abruptly cut short by the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. Two Royal Guards newly alerted to the blaze engulfing the Naberrie home slowed their pace when they entered the backyard and cautiously pointed their blasters at the two intruders.

"Get up," one of the commanded. "Put your hands in the air!"

Padme meekly rose, but Anakin gazed at the officers menacingly. After defying them purposefully for a brief moment, he stood up. Instead of raising his hands, however, he moved them towards his belt and approached the men.

"Leave," he ordered with just as much authority. "This is none of your business."

The guards stood their ground.

"Don't move another step," barked the first one. "We will shoot."

His comrade, however, let his eye meander to the woman behind the boy and instantly recognized her features.

"It's Amidala," he shouted for the benefit of his colleague. Still with his blaster in the air, he stepped forward towards the Queen. "Your majesty, we have orders to escort you to the capitol."

"Don't you dare touch her!" In the blink of an eye, Anakin's blue lightsaber separated him and the Queen from the officers. He deftly deflected several bolts meant to disarm him.

"I'm not afraid of you," he taunted. Anakin felt the Force flow through his body as he advanced towards the two guards. They were nothing, he told himself, other than insignificant obstacles, and they deserved to be punished for getting in his way. His and Padme's.

"Anakin! Don't!"

He looked back in confusion. Was she going to surrender to these swine?

"No more killing! Please!"

"As you wish." With a swift motion of his hands the two guards found themselves flying through the air until their heads collided with the hard surface of a neighboring house.

"They still alive," he told Padme. "They will live."

"What will we do now? More will come for us."

Anakin hesitated. His sensed something familiar, so familiar that he had previously overlooked for too long.

"Obi-Wan. I sense him. He is very close to here now."

"Can he help us?"

"The Jedi will never want to help me."

He grabbed Padme's forearm and tugged her along.

"Hurry. I have a plan."

* * *

Obi-Wan stared hard at the detached limbs and the headless torso that they used to belong to.

"Oh Anakin, what have you gotten yourself into?"

"This was clearly done by a lightsaber," remarked Master Gallia morbidly.

"The man does not appear to be an upstanding character. Perhaps there was reason for my Padawan's actions."

One of the security guards accompanying him stepped up.

"Master Jedi, according to our records, I believe that he is the assassin that we have been looking for."

"Regardless of the man's background," Adi stated coolly, "this was not a clean killing. It was done with the purpose of inflicting pain."

"It makes sense," said another guard, a bearded one. "We believe that the assassin may have been in collusion with the Queen with the intention to distract us before the Neimoidians invaded. If that's the case, then it's entirely possible the Queen and her rogue Jedi would move to cover their tracks and eliminate all involved."

"That's preposterous," yelled Obi-Wan. "Why would my Padawan conspire to invade a planet?"

Adi patted the young Jedi Knight on the back.

"We must be open-minded, Master Kenobi. He is not your Padawan anymore. He may be under the control of the Sith now."

Obi-Wan averted his gaze from the Jedi Master. He knew that whatever he said would have no affect on her. He tried to sense his Padawan, perhaps even warn him of the danger he was in. Anakin was close by, and it was obvious that Adi could not sense him.

_That's because she is wrong. Anakin is still my Padawan, and I will get him back_.

Perhaps it wasn't yet time to disclose what he knew to her.

* * *

"I can't believe they are saying that about me," Anakin whispered to Padme. They both cautiously peered through the window of their neighbor's abandoned home at the two Jedi and the official gathering they had brought along with them.

"It's my fault. They think you killed the man."

"No, Padme. It's their fault! They should know me better!"

"Obi-Wan doesn't seem that angry."

"He still thinks I am a Sith."

Anakin looked at Padme with a hurt and wounded expression in his eyes.

"I am not a Sith," he almost shouted. Without any hesitation Anakin raised his hands in the air, and the building above and around them began to crumble. Pieces of roof peeled off and began hurling themselves at the Nubian Security guards who surrounded the scene.

"Watch out," warned Obi-Wan. He focused his immediate attention on their safety and along with Adi Gallia meticulously deflected the pieces of stone and cement harmlessly aside. The debris kept falling all around them though, and the Jedi only focused on the ones that were about to crush the people around them.

"It worked," Padme exclaimed. The Jedi were still unaware that the crumbled debris now formed a formidable barrier between themselves and the two-person Jedi flyer they had landed in front of the house.

She jumped out the window, but hearing no one follow her, Padme glanced back at Anakin. His face was covered with sweat, and he was hyperventilating from exhaustion as he propped his arms on the windowsill to support himself.

"I'm fine."

Anakin summoned the Force, calling for his deepest reserves of energy and strength. He rolled outside onto the grass and Padme quickly pulled him upright. They both began sprinting towards the front street, where dwindling remnants of the mob, some frightened away by the fire, still gathered.

"Hurry, Padme! Into that ship, and we'll be able to leave this planet."

As Obi-Wan and Adi scrambled across the rocky barrier, the sight of their starship taking off into the night sky informed them of the fact that their prey had escaped from right under their noses.

Unbeknownst to them, a bearded security officer took advantage of the chaotic confusion and silently crept away and activated his comlink.

* * *

"Governor, a transmission from Captain Narca."

"I will take it in my office."

The Governor walked into his spacious study and slammed the doors shut. He sat down on his desk and soon the figure of the Captain was standing before him.

"Lord Repsaj, I am reporting to you from Varykino."

"Good. What's going on there? I know something has happened but the Holo-Nets are telling me nothing."

"The Queen's home is burning. Our bounty hunter has apparently slaughtered the Naberrie household and set their house on fire."

"What of the Queen?"

"I don't know, but the bounty hunter was also found dead, chopped to pieces and beheaded by a lightsaber."

Repsaj's immediate reaction was a smirk. The Queen may still be alive, but he would save plenty by not having to reimburse a dead assassin.

"You have done well, Captain. It is clear that the Queen's Jedi Protector killed him in retribution. If this boy Jedi could have taken down a bounty hunter so easily, it is clear that he is a threat to us."

"He must not be allowed to harm you. What are your orders?"

"Lay low for now. I will take care of this situation and make it to our benefit."

The transmission ended, and Repsaj activated his comlink to contact his assistant.

"Yes, Lord Governor?"

"Contact Viceroy Gunray and tell him that I have prepared another speech."

* * *

"My fellow Nubians, I speak to you in the midst of the greatest tempest our precious planet has ever faced. I will not alarm you with speculated rumors, for we all know that our situation is indeed a grave one. Communications are still down, and I have not yet been able to make contact with the Republic and our Supreme Chancellor. Even if they knew of our plight here, their hands would be still tied because of the legal aspect of this occupation.

However, I come to you today with a message of hope. The Neimoidians are an alien species to us, but they are not without reason. The Trade Federation is a business, and thus we must conduct appropriate negotiations with them. I am happy to inform you that I am making significant progress in my talks with the Viceroy, and that it will not be long before I can say to you with confidence that we have worked out a course of action that will be beneficial to all parties involved. Until then, I urge you all to maintain your courage, stay calm, and have faith in your government. I will not let you down.

I also come before you today with a sober reproach. We are a civilized society, and in this pressing time we must not lose touch of the values that we hold so dear. Intrinsic to these values are the ideals of law and order. I know that the idea of vigilante justice can be appealing to many right now, but such actions lead to nothing but unnecessary bloodshed and death.

It is with great sadness that I inform you that the innocent family of our Queen has fallen victim to such inexcusable actions. I must remind you all that we must give everyone, no matter how vile their crimes, the benefits of due process and a fair trial before condemning them. Such lawless retaliation must not be allowed to continue.

I have already set into motion an inquiry to investigate this atrocity, and it has been uncovered that a vigilante group led by our esteemed native artist Cnal-Ides Broos was responsible for ordering the deaths of and executing the innocent members of the Naberrie family.

We must not let them, or anyone else on this planet, die in vain! Justice must be brought to anyone who is guilty of breaking the law! I urge you, my fellow Nubians, to help bring justice to our land. Assist our security forces in locating and apprehending both our former Queen and Cnal-Ides Broos. Regardless of what they have done, we must ensure their safety so that they will be given the opportunity of a fair trial in our custody.

I must bid you goodnight now. There is much more work for me in the days ahead, as there is for all of us. But if we stick together and keep our senses and our values, I know that Naboo will weather this storm."

* * *

With the speech over, the Governor walked smugly back into his office in the Royal Palace. Waiting for him was his assistant.

"Lord Governor, I have a urgent coded transmission from an unknown source."

"I will take it in my office."

"As you wish."

Duu Repsaj knew what to expect when he activated his holo-transmitter.

"What is the meaning of this," demanded the image of an indignant poet.

"We must have order on this planet. I will not tolerate rogue actions by anyone in this dire time, no matter how esteemed they are."

"What are you…"

Broos's eyes grew wide as recognition of the Governor's treachery set in.

"I see that this was your intention all along. I never should have trusted you."

"I do not know what you are talking about," Repsaj said coldly and innocently. "Turn yourself in, and you will receive a fair trial and perhaps even clemency, given these circumstances.

"You will not get away with this! My following, my people, they will never turn their backs on me!"

A devious smile crept onto the Governor's face.

"I'm afraid, _poet_, that your precious people should be the least of your worries right now."

* * *

"Padme."

She didn't respond. Her eyes remained glued to the Holo-Net reports inside the ship.

"Padme, I told you not to watch them. They will only bring you pain."

"I needed to know," she said, still staring at the broadcast. "Now I know."

Anakin walked up beside her and sat down in the pilot's chair.

"Where should I set our coordinates to?"

"We won't leave this planet just yet, Anakin."

His eyebrows shivered in anticipation of the coming confrontation.

"Tell me where I can find him, Padme."


	14. Chapter 14

Again, as always, thank you all so much for reading, and forgive me for the snail's pace at which I am updating. I am going to try to finish this up though this vacation, as well as get started on its sequel. Hope you enjoy this next chapter

* * *

Chapter 14

"And again, my sincere thanks for the ship."

The Nubian officer returned Master Gallia's bow and set off for more pressing matters, leaving the two Jedi alone with their newly rented speeder. Adi had been none-too-pleased by the ease in which the young boy had stolen their starship, and felt more than a little embarrassed having be reduced to begging for transportation from the beleaguered forces of a soon-to-be conquered planet. Still, one did not say no to a Jedi.

Looking over to her partner, she wondered if Obi-Wan shared her embarrassment. The young knight appeared to be on a planet of one, staring aimlessly into the sky, towards the far horizon and the first traces of dawn.

"I think we have some work to do to repair our image on this planet," remarked Adi half-jokingly as she tried to get some semblance of a response from Obi-Wan.

He didn't seem to process her joke.

"He's out there," pointing towards the vague direction he had been staring at. "I felt him. We were so close. I feel him still."

"Then let's proceed with our mission then," Adi replied, back to her professional self.

They sped through the plains and around the mountains while trying to avoid troubling areas of conflict that may have interfered with their immediate mission. It was about an hour of silence later that Obi-Wan spoke.

"He is still good, you know."

"How do you know that," Adi asked, not looking at the knight.

"I can still feel him somewhat. His thoughts. He is conflicted, confused, fearful, and angry. But I do not feel any traces of evil, or…malicious intent."

"Perhaps he is deceiving you. If you can feel his presence, then I am sure that he can feel yours too. He could be manipulating you, trying to get you to feel what he wants you to feel."

Obi-Wan sneered at the comment, almost with hostility.

"He is merely a boy. The more the Jedi Council overthinks this situation, the worse they will make it."

The tension seemed to escalate as Adi quickly responded.

"You seem to speak of the Council as an enemy. Do not forget who you are talking to, _Knight _Kenobi! I am a member of the Council that you are slandering against."

Obi-Wan's shoulders stiffened and his hand fell unconsciously towards his lightsaber. He blinked, and the moment of irrationality disappeared.

"You misunderstand me. I am not against the Council, but is the concept that the Jedi Council may sometimes be wrong so foreign to you?"

"This argument is pointless," Adi stated. Then, trying to change the subject, "while we are debating about a Council, an entire planet is being ravaged and subjugated."

She then paused to consider her own words.

"Obi-Wan, should we do something about this invasion?"

To her surprise, he immediately rejected her notion. His words, though enunciated slowly, seemed on the brink of violence. "We have our mission, Master Gallia. The Council has ordered us to find and apprehend Anakin Skywalker, and we cannot deviate from the mission."

"Oh," Adi replied, trying her best not to sound sarcastic, "so all of a sudden the Council is perfect again?"

"This is not about the Council! The Council would judge Anakin to be the more important issue at hand, because he is!"

"More important to whom? The Council? Or yourself?"

Obi-Wan was barely able to resist the urge to strike the Council Member sitting next to him. Instead, he did his best impression of the calm, centered Jedi Knight that he was, the one who was able to carry out an argument without inflammation or passion, a skill that had aided him in so many negotiations in the past.

"He is important, Master Gallia, because he is the Chosen One. He is destined to bring balance to the Force, and that affects our entire Galaxy, not just a planet, mind you. And besides, there is really nothing we can do about this invasion. If you remember, according to the security forces back in Varykino this is a legal occupation sanctioned by Queen Amidala herself."

"Oh, you can't possibly believe that junk, can you?"

"Of course I don't," Obi-Wan replied, his eyes becoming distant again. "I've met the Queen before, and it won't make sense for her to sacrifice everything me, Master Qui-Gon, and Anakin worked for five years ago.

But don't forget," he added, looking straight into Adi's eyes, "about the Captain we escorted into hyperspace before we touched down onto the planet. He is on his way to meet with Chancellor Palpatine right now, and I am sure that they will get to the bottom of this. Until then, I am sure that the Jedi Council, yourself included, will never allow us to interfere with what still appears to be a domestic and sovereign issue at the moment."

"Spoken well," Adi grudgingly admitted, her attention suddenly focused on the ship's navigation rather than the Knight next to her. "You sound just like the Council."

Obi-Wan ignored her last quip. "Keep the course," he almost ordered. "We are gaining on my old Padawan. I can feel it."

* * *

She wasn't even sure if she wanted to go through with this anymore. A part of her screamed for her to just let it be, let bygones be bygones, however horrid they are, and just run away. Why bother with the pain, it asked her. Just shove it deep into her heart somewhere, and forget about it forever.

It was tempting, but Padme knew that she could not carry out this fantasy. She would never be able to just forget about her family. There was no doubt in her mind that the sight of their blood and broken limbs and the smell of their burning bodies will torment her forever.

Nor could she forget her actions afterwards. How she almost felt satisfied as she was cutting through the limbs of her assassin, and how she wanted that feeling to last forever. Unfortunately, it didn't, and the dramatic fall that followed so quickly the temporary high she was on had almost driven her to end it all. Thankfully, Anakin had been there to stop her. She still may not want to live anymore, but Padme knew for certain that there she still had things she wanted…no, needed, to do in her life.

The confrontation that would soon occur was necessary, she told herself. The slaughterer of her family was dead, never mind the means, but Padme knew that she would never gain anything close to closure over the matter until she knew why; why someone would ever order such a senseless, meaningless, yet heartbreakingly cruel act of violence. Perhaps the same person was responsible for spreading such devious lies about her, accusing her of betraying her own planet. She did not know what angered her more, the lie itself, or the fact that it was accepted so easily as truth by the people that she had dedicated most of her life to. It was a betrayal that stung so much more than any trivial political defeat would.

"How are you feeling," the boy asked tenderly, while physically keeping his distance from her.

"I don't know. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about this." They were both sitting in the cockpit of the ship, and Padme leaned towards Anakin until her back rested along his chest. Anakin circled his arms around her protectively. He checked the ship's computers.

"We are almost there," he stated, and then almost as an afterthought, "do you want me to kill him?"

"I want to talk to him, at least. Find out why he would do such a thing. Cnal Ides-Broos is a very dignified man. I have met him a few times, and have always respected him and his work. I need to know what I have done to incite such ire from him."

"He is scum," Anakin spat, holding her closer. "It's that simple. I have a feeling that he is behind the invasion too. And the lies about you. I know you would never betray Naboo, Padme."

"I too think it to be too much of a coincidence."

It drove Anakin crazy. He was so close to Padme. They had spent the last few weeks together. They were alone now, with nothing to bother them but their demons. But there were so many of them, hounding his mind as well as hers. Why couldn't he just simply enjoy the time he spent with her? Why did their time together always have to be accompanied by so much pain, conflict, and death. Why couldn't he just hold her, as he was doing now, without the burning memories of holding his dying mother in the back of his mind?

He had tried to blame his mother's death on himself, on his Master, on the Jedi, and on the entire Tusken tribe. Of those four, the only target he could act on was the Tuskens. But what was so frustrating for him was that they were all the same: all faceless, speechless (comprehensible, at least), and equally responsible for killing his mother. And since they were equally responsible, it meant that at the same time none of them were directly responsible.

He killed them, and the killing got easier as he gained more murderous experience, but he lacked any satisfaction from the killings. Anakin knew that the Tuskens did not know why he was killing them, and he would never be able to make them understand why they deserved to be hated and butchered. He could voice out his accusations, but none of them would comprehend a word he was saying. They were all so…anonymous.

But now it was different. Padme's pain was his pain, and that pain had a name. Cnal Ides-Broos. And soon, the pain would have a face. Padme might still be unsure of what to do with the poet, but Anakin had already made up his mind.

* * *

"Darin," he shouted desperately at the holograph. "Surely you have seen the broadcast! He has betrayed us. I should known all along Repsaj was going to do that."

The crime boss with whom Cnal had conspired glared back at him with an apprehensive expression of feigned puzzlement.

"I do not know what you are talking about," Darin Lupes replied cautiously. "I know as much as any common man who has been watching the holo-casts. The time is urgent right now. We must all stand together as the Naboo and do the right thing. Vigilantism is not the answer, Master Ides-Broos. If I were you, I would turn myself in. I'm sure that the Governor will be merciful, especially in light of the situation."

"What are you talking about, Lupes?" Cnal pounded on his desk. "We were all in this together, you, me, the governor…" Realization finally dawned on him. "He's already reached you, hasn't he? You're shutting me out, all of you."

"Look," Lupes replied, almost sympathetically, "whatever I was or wasn't involved in…it's gone too far. This invasion is…most unexpected. Responsibility…needs to be addressed."

"Don't do this to me, Darin! It was his idea too! Repsaj was our link to the Neimoidians."

The mobster looked around nervously. "This conversation has to end," he stated abruptly, and his image disappeared immediately.

"Sithspit," he swore. Pacing around the room nervously, he unsure of whether to be more worried about the rapidly failing and backfiring assassination attempt or his own well being.

Cnal stopped beside the window of his modest house, nestled deep in a mountain valley. All was calm and quiet, for now. The Neimoidians were coming though. It had been his operation at first. He had been the one who initiated the assassination and recruited all the conspirators. Out of the best intentions, he reminded himself. Even the invasion he could not pin all the blame on Repsaj, for it had been his idea to discredit the Queen with it.

But it was all supposed to be under control. His control. There weren't supposed to be so many deaths. Just a temporary occupation, give the Trade Federation some money, and watch Naboo prosper as the ideal democracy. But now everything was in the Governor's hands, and who knew just how far the slimy politician was going to let the invasion go.

Cnal chided himself; Lupes was right. He couldn't run away now. He wasn't going to turn himself in either, but he would take responsibility somehow for this mess that he had helped bring about.

He heard the sound of a speeder outside rapidly coming to a halt. Without any knocks, his living room door was violently torn down. A set of rapidly approaching footsteps. Could it be that the Governor's troops had already arrived to get rid of Repsaj's dirty evidence?

Cnal raced back to his desk and opened his drawer. He had just enough time to pull out his blaster when the door to his study was flung open. To his surprise, his two shots were easily deflected by a blue lightsaber. A boy stepped into the room, followed by the Queen herself.

The boy, whose blue eyes burned with fiery hatred, he recognized as Amidala's Jedi protector, the same one who had thwarted their first attempt to kill her. Cnal froze in shock, but the boy did not hesitate in approaching him. With a quick slice of his blade he cut off the hand that held the blaster. Cnal barely had the time to feel the pain before he found the tip of the deadly lightsaber pointed right between his eyes.

"Explain," was all he said. Or rather, ordered.

Cnal shifted his eyes away from the weapon and towards the Queen, who was standing nervously at the entrance of the room. Seeing his eye contact, her expression immediately hardened into one of pure hatred. She pulled out her own blaster from underneath her dress, and Cnal now had two weapons pointed towards him.

"Don't try anything," the monarch warned coldly.

Not that he could. Besides to try and argue his point.

Cnal Ides-Broos straightened his back and summoned the remaining shreds of his dignity.

"I did it all for Naboo. For the continuation of democracy. To end our democracy's greatest threat."

"And how were my mother and father and sister and brother-in-law and niece threats to democracy?"

"Oh no, I had nothing to do with that."

As if it were possible, his words stoked even more the flames that burned in the young Jedi.

"Liar," he cried out, and suddenly Cnal felt his throat tightened and restricted by an invisible hand.

He struggled to make himself heard, but his best efforts resulted in nothing more than a whisper.

"They were going…to change the…Constitution…to make you…a dictator…the invasion…was not supposed…to be like this…"

The Queen stepped forward until she stood at the Jedi's side.

"And did it ever occur to you," she voiced, tears dripping down her cheeks, "that I already knew about the amendments to the Constitution, and had already drafted documents ensuring that I would voluntarily step down from office once my term was over?"

The words came as a blow to Cnal Ides-Broos, causing him more pain than any loss of oxygen or appendages could.

"I…couldn't give you…that choice…" he argued weakly, trying to remain righteous, if only in his own mind.

Padme kicked the poet hard in the shins and spun around away from the man. She didn't want to argue with him anymore. From her years of experience in politics she knew that it was impossible to win over ideologues convinced in their beliefs. Was that what her parents died for? For some halfhearted notion resulting from the delusional paranoia of an overactive mind?

"Anakin," she said. The boy had not moved an inch since the initial confrontation, other than to subtly squeeze together the fingers of the hand that didn't hold the lightsaber. "Do what you want with him."

Cnal felt the grip loosen from his throat. Greedily sucking in the air, he realized that his last chance of surviving was to turn the tables around, against their common foe.

"I was betrayed," he pleaded loudly. "The Go…"

"Silence," the Jedi ordered, and Cnal felt his throat being constricted again. He felt the handle of the young man's lightsaber being thrust into his remaining hand, and then his wrist grabbed in as firm a hold as the invisible one around his throat.

"I will be more generous to you," he stated almost diplomatically, "than you ever were to Padme. I will give you a choice. You will do this to yourself."

Anakin pushed forward with his arm, bending the poet's elbow so that the tip of the lightsaber journeyed closer and closer to his head. The man put up significant resistance, and Anakin called upon the Force to help him.

It proved to be more than enough. The lightsaber plunged through the poet's head at a surprising velocity, and it was all over. The body slumped ahead face-down onto his desk, which was a relief for all aesthetic purposes, and its lifeless hand dropped the lightsaber. Anakin grabbed seconds before it hit the ground.

He turned back to the Queen, who was sobbing again. Anakin put his arm around her shoulders. With no words needing to be said, he slowly escorted her out of the room and back towards their ship.

He stopped right before they left the house.

"There are more who meant to harm you, Padme. I think he was trying to telling me that."

"Perhaps." Padme turned her head and looked deep into Anakin's eyes, trying to reach through him. Begging him.

"No more, Anakin. No more killing. No more death, on my accord."

"If you wish," Anakin obliged. He suddenly felt lighter and calmer. His muscles relaxed as they continued their way out of the poet's house.

Seconds later, Anakin found himself staring right into the eyes of his old Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi.


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you all for reading and reviewing! This should be the second to last chapter, not including an epilogue. I want to thank you all for sticking with me through this story, and hope that its sequel will continue to hold your attention.

* * *

Chapter 15

His lightsaber was ignited immediately.

"I do not have to explain anything to you," Anakin yelled defiantly at Obi-Wan. "You are not my Master anymore."

Moments later, Anakin saw Master Gallia step off their speeder and activate her weapon. Her back arched in anticipation as she lectured the former Padawan.

"You have much to explain, young Skywalker. You reek of the Dark Side; it swells in you and clouds your mind. Who is your Master now, since you have so obviously disclaimed Master Kenobi?"

Though he already knew about their suspicions, the mere suggestion from Master Gallia still hurt Anakin tremendously.

"Do not accuse me of being a Sith," he fired back defensively. "I have no Master, for I am my own person."

The sight of the impending duel between the lightsaber-wielding Jedi had caused Padme to instinctively retreat to the safety of the dead conspirator's hut. Seeing the situation escalate though, she boldly walked forward and placed herself protectively in front of Anakin, and between him and the two Jedi.

"You cannot force him to go with you," she argued. "He is a just a boy. Anakin has not done anything wrong."

"He has slaughtered countless indigenous tribe members and a Jedi Master on Tatooine," Adi countered back. "I find it highly suspicious too that this occupation of Naboo has occurred chronologically right after Skywalker's arrival here. He must be taken into custody and held responsible for his actions."

Obi-Wan addressed the Queen sternly.

"Your highness, I regret that we meet again under the most unfortunate of circumstances. However, this here is personal business between us." He then waved his lightsaber at her, almost threateningly. "I advise you to step aside, for your own good."

Immediately, Anakin positioned himself in front of Padme.

"Don't talk to her like that," he warned. He stepped forward and brought his weapon down towards Obi-Wan. The two lightsabers met tentatively in the purgatory between the two before both retrenched back into their defensive positions.

"You are mistaken about Anakin," Padme continued to plea to the Jedi. "He is merely a boy grieving the loss of his mother, and he has done nothing here on Naboo other than saving my life more than once. This _invasion_ has been caused by manipulators who wished to murder me and defame my character, and has nothing to do with Anakin."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan asked his former Padawan, his face expression just as hurt as the young boy's, "who taught you to use Sith Lightning?"

"Sith lightning," Anakin asked, virtually in shock.

"We know you used the most twisted form of the Dark Side in your many murders."

"Back off, Adi," Obi-wan reproached crossly, "and let me handle this."

The Jedi Master bristled at the young Knight's comments but kept her mouth shut; there could appear no signs of dissension among the Jedi. Anakin seemed to ignore her completely for the moment.

"The lightning saved my life, and Padme's as well. I do not see what the Sith have to do with something as inherently good as that."

"Anakin, it is called Sith Lightning because only the Sith lack the restraint to use such a vile manipulation of the Force. It can only be generated through the darkest of thoughts and intent. What would cause you to do such a thing, Anakin? Do you remember even a word of my teachings to you?"

"If I hadn't been so busy memorized to your teachings, I would have been able to save my mother!"

At the same time, Padme realized that the Jedi Master she had been trying to persuade did not seem to be giving her words any sort of consideration. Instead, she turned her attention to Obi-Wan, hoping that her old friend would give her the time of day.

"Obi-Wan, please! Listen to me! Anakin didn't kill the Jedi Master!"

"He died because he was a lousy pilot and wouldn't stop chasing me," Anakin added, grateful for the support.

"And he used the lightning when he was cornered by the savages who murdered his mother. At least try to imagine the pain he was in, Obi-Wan."

Anakin winced inside as Padme brought up that old memory. He realized too, that unfortunately Padme was also all too familiar with such an experience now. The fact that she was bringing this up meant she was experiencing the same flashbacks he was right now. He looked back and smiled at her in a silent acknowledgment of thankfulness.

"He had no choice," she continued. "They had him surrounded. It was the only way he was able to save himself, and it was the only way he saved me from my assassin."

"A brutal way to save people," Adi voiced. "It is not the Jedi way. A Jedi should choose death over darkness."

Obi-Wan shot her another angry glance, and then turned back to Anakin with genuine concern.

"Is this true, Anakin?"

"Yes." Their fighting stances softened a little, though all three lightsabers still remained activated.

"What happened to your mother?"

"She was kidnapped by a tribe of Tusken Raiders," Anakin stated, trying to remain dispassionate despite the fact that his eyes were welling up again. They tortured her for weeks before I found her. She died in my arms."

Obi-Wan had never met Shmi Skywalker, but Qui-Gon had spoken very fondly of her. He felt remorse at her death; was it possible that he had been wrong in disregarding Anakin's nightmares? Did that make him somewhat responsible for the tragedy? Obi-Wan knew he had to set such thoughts aside. He could not waste time questioning himself when he had a Padawan to save.

"Anakin, one cannot change the past. We must learn to let go of our attachments so that we may clear our minds for the future."

Though his heart had been temporarily sated, his old Master's words wasted no time in pulling his internal trigger.

"How could you be so cold," Anakin yelled, enraged. "She was my mother! Do you even know what it feels like to have a mother?"

"Anakin, you know I never knew my mother."

"Of course, Obi-Wan. You'd never understand then."

The four of them stood at a silent impasse, none of them knowing how to proceed. Finally, Adi Gallia took the initiative and stepped forward.

"You have become twisted and misguided in the most extreme way. You will come with us, Skywalker, for rehabilitation, after which the Council will decide your future as a Jedi."

Anakin shrank back.

"No. I will not go back to the temple. I have no future as a Jedi."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan begged, "it's not too late. I can still save you. The Dark Side is dangerous, but you are still young and barely exposed to it. Let us help you before you succumb completely."

Anakin laughed in the heat of the moment before turning serious. It was obvious that he had not given any consideration to the Jedi's offer.

"Forget it, Obi-Wan."

His throat lumped up at what he had to say next. Obi-Wan hadn't always been that bad, and despite whatever dissatisfaction Anakin had about his training, he had still developed an affection for the man, almost as if he was the father that Anakin never had. But there was no turning back now.

"I will never forgive you, Obi-Wan, or the Jedi, for letting my mother die. I will not become the cold, uncaring creature that you wish me to be. If you try to train me, you will fail."

"But you're the Chosen One, Anakin! It is your destiny to bring balance to the Force. You must be trained!"

Anakin's face contorted in anger.

"I will not let my life be dictated by some dead Jedi from thousands of years ago! No person, no prophecy, no order will determine my destiny!"

"You cannot escape your destiny, Anakin!"

Anakin gritted his teeth.

"I will make my own destiny."

"Master Jedi's," Padme pleaded, "can't you just let him be? You can't force him; it'll be kidnapping."

"Skywalker belongs to the Jedi Order," Adi replied coldly. "He is too dangerous and has too much knowledge of the Force to be left on his own. He will come with us willingly, or we will apprehend him through whatever means."

The two Jedi started taking steps towards Anakin. Padme retreated back towards the house, but Anakin stood his ground firmly and defiantly, poised to fend off his attackers.

"You will try," he growled, and the battle was on. Adi struck at the boy first, bringing her saber down in one smooth, graceful motion. Anakin's weapon was there to defend the blow, but he was surprised at the strength and power that came from the Jedi Master's petite form.

She moved fast, too. Anakin found that he could barely keep up with her as her quick footwork. Her nimble movements allowed her to circle around the boy while still keeping up the pace of her attacks. Soon, she had Anakin turned around, and she moved forward aggressively, forcing Anakin to retreat towards a reluctant Obi-Wan, who now had an open shot at striking Anakin's backside.

He did not want to hurt the boy, but Obi-Wan knew that he had no choice. He struck at his former apprentice. Surrounded on both sides, Anakin reached deep into the Force and found speed that he had never known he had before. He hurried to meet Obi-Wan's parry and in less than a second brought his saber back to fend off another one of Adi's attacks. Anakin continued this back-and-forth process several times.

It was obvious that both Jedi were holding back tremendously and not fighting to their full potential. Adi kept trying to divert Anakin's attention with her strikes, forcing him to defend himself in ways that left him vulnerable to Obi-Wan. For some frustrating reason though, Obi-Wan never allowed himself to take advantage of her opportunities and disarm the boy. Adi gave the young Knight a cross look, but Obi-Wan simply avoided any eye contact and continued to slowly and half-heartedly attack.

Knowing that it was all up to her now, Adi increased the velocity and intensity of her jabs and thrusts to the point where they were now barely visible to the naked eye, including Anakin's. He knew he couldn't keep up his defense much longer, so he tried moving to his side in an effort to escape the wedge between the two Jedi. Another parry from Obi-Wan distracted Anakin, and as he swung his arm around to meet the weapon, Adi's lightsaber made contact with his shoulder.

Anakin screamed in pain as he dropped his lightsaber, and the wound was enough to cause him to lose his balance as his feet tripped on the rocks below and he fell onto the ground. Seeing the Jedi tower over him, Anakin tried moving his right arm and to his relief found that it was still intact, as the wound was only a burn.

Knowing full well the origins of his lightning now, Anakin had not wanted to resort to using it in the fight, but now he had no choice. Summoning all the hate he had for the Master before him, he raised both palms upward towards her and shot off the most intense lightning he could muster.

The attack caught Adi by surprise at first and as she moved her lightsaber to defend it the lightning drove her back several steps. However, she quickly recovered and was able to deflect the lightning away harmlessly into the air, being careful not to deflect back towards Anakin or Obi-Wan. Empowered, she advanced on him again.

"You have lost, Skywalker. Give up."

Anakin screamed in hatred as he tried to amplify his attack.

"Never!"

"You heard him, Obi-Wan! Cut off his hands now and disarm him!"

Obi-Wan looked remorsefully at his old Padawan, who was looking back at him with a mixture of anger, hatred, and a childish fear in his eyes. His swollen and moist eyes looked like he was almost begging him to spare the final blow.

"I will do what I must," Obi-Wan whispered to the boy before readying his lightsaber.

Anakin waited for the blade to cut through his hands, but it never came. At the last second Obi-Wan diverted his weapon away from Anakin in order to deflect a blaster shot. Looking to see the source of the attack, Anakin was overjoyed to see Padme shooting at the Jedi with her blaster. The lightning subsided as he watched the two defend the relentless volley of shots that came their way.

"Please," Padme begged even as she fired shot after shot at the Jedi, who deflected the blasts easily away from any human being. "Let him go, and just let us be. He will not be a threat to you, I promise!"

"With all due respect, Your Highness," Obi-Wan remarked, "it does not appear that you have either the leverage or the authority to make such a claim right now."

Adi addressed her coldly.

"Queen Amidala, cease this attack, and we will do what we can to defend your reputation and restore your rightful authority on this planet."

"What makes you think," Padme sneered, her finger never giving the trigger a reprieve, "that I want anything to do with Naboo anymore?"

Adi continued to fend off the blasts, but she aimed her deflections closer and closer on the ground towards the Queen.

"If you do not comply, we must defend ourselves. It is your choice to have attacked us, and we cannot be held responsible for what happens."

Panicked, Padme began firing wildly, not even bothering to aim anymore. Adi deflected the blasts in various directions, hitting directly obvious targets such as the windows of Cnal's house and a shurra fruit on the tree behind her in a demonstration of the deadly precision of her skill.

Two successive blasts made the difference in the outcome of the duel. The first one was in the general direction of Obi-Wan's head, and the Jedi raised his arm high to deflect the shot away. The second shot was closer to Adi who deflected it behind her. What she did not expect was for that shot to have struck on Obi-Wan's lightsaber as he was in the process of bringing it back down. The blast ricocheted back towards her again, and as she flipped her wrist to bat it away, another shot from Padme's blaster struck her right in the hand. The Jedi Master screamed as she dropped her now-broken lightsaber.

Anakin had been watching Padme in a daze, fearful for her life but paralyzed to do anything about it. This new turn of events, however, woke him from his coma, and without hesitation, Anakin reach through the Force with his unharmed left arm and watched his lightsaber fly back into his hand. Everything else was in slow motion as he watched the blue blade of his weapon cut towards the still reeling Adi Gallia, who screamed again as both her legs were separated from the rest of her body.

Her torso fell on to the ground. Invigorated with his triumph, Anakin felt the Force flow through him. Forgetting his pain, he jump up and over his old Master and slashed at his neck. Obi-Wan's quick reflexes allowed him to keep his head as well as his life.

The Force was now flowing through Obi-Wan too. He had been relying on Adi to disarm Anakin earlier on in the fight. Now he realized that he was the only thing that stood between him and the possibility of losing Anakin forever. Moreover, Obi-Wan felt hurt that Anakin would try to strike such a lethal blow on him, especially in the light of how he held back during the earlier moments of the fight. Obi-Wan glared at his former apprentice.

"This is the end of your little insurrection, Anakin. I will not lose you to the Dark Side."

He charged towards Anakin, powered by a surge that he had not felt since the moments right after Qui-Gon's death when he was in the midst of the battle against the Sith warrior. Anakin moved quickly to counter his blows; he was familiar as any with Obi-Wan's style of attack, as there was no one in the temple Anakin had trained more with.

However, this new aggressiveness was something he had never seen before, and Anakin found himself unable to predict where and when the next strike was going to come. Both were hyperventilating as Obi-Wan drove the boy further and further back.

Then the fight was over. Obi-Wan faked a parry to disarm Anakin's left hand, but then promptly switched directions after Anakin had reacted to strike him on his unprotected hip. Anakin swerved to avoid the blow, but it was too late and his movements only allowed the scorching to continue onto his back as well. His body contorted and twisted in agony before he fell again onto the dirt.

Obi-Wan stood over Anakin, satisfied at his victory.

"It is over now, Anakin. I have saved you. You have no choice now."

Anakin leered at his old Master. He had attacked him in hate earlier, but in defeat all the venom left his body and he was left with nothing but fear. Anakin looked into his future; he saw himself being brought back to the temple in shame, confined to a tiny, unadorned room for years and being forced to meditate and study without rest as punishment for his crimes. Surely they wouldn't let him see Padme again. He knew they would view his feelings for her as signs of an attachment.

Anakin raised his lightsaber again, but instead of striking towards Obi-Wan, he steadied the weapon above his own neck. The only thought that raced through his head was how he would never see Padme again. He looked at her, who looked back at him in the same shock and fear he felt.

"Goodbye, Padme," he said simply. "I love you."

Chosen One or not, he would determine his own fate. Closing his eyes, Anakin braced himself for his final act.


	16. Chapter 16 and Epilogue

Once again, I sincerely thank everyone who has stuck by me, reading and/or reviewing this story. Your words truly mean a lot to me, and I thank you for them.

This will be the last post for this story, as the epilogue is included as well. However, there will be many sequels to come, and I hope that you will continue to read them.

* * *

Chapter 16

"Anakin, don't do this. Think, Anakin! Is it really worth it?"

Obi-Wan's words only strengthened his resolve. Anakin winced in pain as he felt the searing coolness of his self-manufactured weapon making its first tentative explorations of the delicate skin on the front of his neck. He pondered whether to take the coward's way out and finish the deed as quickly as possible, or whether to lower his decided fate upon himself slowly, so that he can experience the absolute price of his absolute failure. His many failures.

Anakin paused when he heard her voice, screaming desperately into the brisk Naboo dawn, and her feet, stumbling as quickly as her panic could take her. The lightsaber remained rested on the surface of his neck like a ship that had landed on some treacherous Tatooine quicksand, but for some strange reason, refused to be sucked in.

"Anakin, please! Don't do this, Ani! Don't do to yourself…to me!"

He forced himself to look at her. Had he not given her the exact speech only hours ago? She had listened to him; she had relented. Would it be justice for him to not return the favor?

He felt her soft hand on his, clutching the wrist that held the lightsaber. As always, her touch made his muscles weak. Anakin's arm betrayed him, as Padme was able to successful take control of it and, in effect, the weapon. The shimmering blue blade hovered in the air between the two, the point of it directed for the moment at the peaks of the mountains in the distant horizon.

The searing pain of the morning wind across his blistering neck, a pleasant sensation on any other day, brought Anakin back to the reality of the situation.

"Padme," he stated resolutely and calmly, "I must do this. I have no other choice."

"There is always another choice, Anakin. You can't do this. You can't leave me here, alone."

"I have failed, Padme. If I go back to the temple, it will be as if I was already dead. They would never let me see you again."

His words were hard, but Padme saw clearly that his eyes had already softened. She knew that whatever the course of action his mind had deluded him towards favoring, he would not let himself carry that out until he had her permission. But Anakin was right in the assertion that there was really nothing else he could do. Still kneeling on the ground over the boy and holding back her sobs, Padme turned her attention to the Jedi.

"Master Obi-Wan, I am begging you. I am already indebted to you on a professional level for your assistance five years ago. I am asking to extend my debt to you now, not as a Queen, but as a friend."

Obi-Wan listened to her, but more as a chore than anything else. He was grateful to her because she had convinced Anakin to hesitate in his ill-conceived notion of self-sacrifice, but he was equally concerned that she had succeeded where he had failed. The connection between the two, their attachment, was clear for anyone to perceive, whether they were Force-sensitive or not. It bothered Obi-Wan that Anakin would regard her in a position of authority above the Jedi and himself. It was an obstacle that would certainly impede any attempts at the boy's rehabilitation.

"Your highness, I must ask for your cooperation in this matter. The attachment between yourself and my Padawan has gotten out of hand. You must know that Jedi are not allowed to have such attachments."

She had again tried to use her diplomatic skills, but as she listened to the Jedi confirm her worst fears, Padme began to lose the last ounces of composure she had left.

"Your highness," Obi-Wan, "I must ask you for the favor. You must let go of what you fear to lose so that you can convince Anakin to do the same."

"No," she protested. "You are asking me to give him to you…so that you can keep him from me forever."

"Please, milady." This time it was Obi-Wan doing the begging, and it was as fervent and impassioned as the Queen's. "It is a step that is imperative to Anakin's training, which if he doesn't receive, he will be a danger to the Republic and to society. Surely you can see that."

"No!" She almost screamed it this time. "You can't take him away from me! My family has been slaughtered, my planet has been taken over, and my people have turned against me. Please, Master Jedi, you must see that he is all I have left. Please, I ask of you as a friend, let him go. He won't hurt anyone, I promise."

This, Obi-Wan thought, was exactly why the Jedi prohibited attachments. Such feelings can so obviously cloud the mind of even the most reasonable.

"Your highness, with all due respect you are speaking of Anakin as if he were an accessory of your wardrobe. He is not a possession of yours, milady, and he does not belong to you."

"Nor does he belong to the Jedi, or to you!"

This remark seemed to strike a nerve in the young Jedi.

"I never said he did," he responded with surprising indignity.

"But your actions speak differently, Obi-Wan. If Anakin truly does not belong to anyone, then let him make his own choices."

"I cannot let him do that," Obi-Wan said deeply and softly, trying not to betray on the outside the doubts that were voicing themselves in his head. "I cannot betray the dying words of my Master. I cannot betray his belief in Anakin; that he truly is the Chosen One and must be trained. I cannot betray his mother, who wanted her son to be trained as a Jedi."

Up until now Anakin had been observing the debate, hoping for the slightest chance that Padme might be able to convince Obi-Wan to let him go. The Jedi's mention of his mother, however, brought him fiercely back into the conversation.

"Don't you dare mention my mother, Obi-Wan. You have already betrayed her! It is because of you and the Jedi that she died."

His grip unconsciously tightened on his lightsaber again, but Padme continued her iron grasp of his wrist and held him down, preventing him from lunging at Obi-Wan in his severely handicapped state.

"We did what we must do, Anakin!" Even as he spoke, Obi-Wan's mind continued to question him, prod him, and betray him. "My duty is to train you into a great Jedi, Anakin! I made a promise to Qui-Gon. Surely you see that you can't let me break it!"

It was a promise made so long ago. Obi-Wan had often wondered at how those last words of Qui-Gon had changed him. How he instantly developed protective, fatherly feelings towards the boy. It was only after he had dropped the disdain for the one he had once called a pathetic lifeform that Obi-Wan for the first time marveled at the boy's raw talent and potential.

He had grand visions for Anakin. In his meditations he saw him becoming the greatest of all the Jedi; he saw him fulfilling Qui-Gon's prophecy, destroying the darkness that was now so obviously rampant in the Galaxy, and restoring balance to the Force. It was his life, and as a Jedi Obi-Wan valued this purpose over any frivolous mission the Council would assign them. Nothing was a failure if it contributed to the growth and development of the Chosen One.

But what had his Master said to him about paying heed to the Living Force? Obi-Wan surveyed the scene before him. A crippled Jedi Master lying helplessly on the ground, a wounded boy with suicidal intentions protected, from him, by only a slandered and deposed Queen. Whatever she had been only days ago, she was nothing more than a weeping, mourning girl now.

Was this really what Qui-Gon had in mind when he freed the boy from slavery? Was this really the gratitude Anakin deserved after he had won their escape off the desert planet and after he had saved Naboo from the droids? Was this really what the Force wanted? What had Qui-Gon done so many years ago, when Obi-Wan, no more than a boy himself, had wanted to desert the Jedi?

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and tried to meditate, letting the Force flow freely into him. He listened, and the message was clear.

Mistakes had been made. Obi-Wan knew that there was penance to be paid. Sacrifices were required. The first step, he knew now with clarity, was to release himself of all his fears, and all that he was afraid to lose.

He wasn't sure what had happened during his brief moment of mental catharsis, but it seemed apparent that Padme had noticed his temporary departure from reality and had given up arguing with him. To everyone's surprise, Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber. His eyes remained closed.

"Go then, if that is what you want. I will not stop you."

He said no more, staying completely still as he heard the sound of his former Padawan being helped up by Padme. Their footsteps gradually began to distance themselves from him, and Obi-Wan could not help but open his eyes to get a last glimpse of Anakin.

The boy could barely walk, and it was only through the sheer will of himself and the Queen that they were able to make it to their ship, or rather, the Jedi Starship that used to belong to Master Gallia and himself. Not that they were allowed any belongings, Obi-Wan reminded himself. As Padme helped Anakin onto the ramp and into the ship, the boy turned back towards his old Master, his eyes remorseful but still resolute.

"Goodbye, Obi-Wan. I will mis…may the Force be with you."

"And with you, Anakin."

Then, they both stepped into the ship. A minute later, it took off. Obi-Wan watched it disappear into the morning. When he had finally lost track of it, he shut his eyes again. He was a beacon now. His mind was clear and stripped of its duty of guiding his actions, for that job belonged solely to the Force.

Obi-Wan took note of his partner, the Jedi Master lying on the ground lacking in legs but certainly not in disapproving glances. He knew that it was not over yet. He had done the right thing, Obi-Wan was certain, but the Council might see the situation differently. It did not matter, he told himself. Whatever happened next, it would be part of his sacrifice, his penance.

"Well, Master Gallia," he joked with a sparkle in his eye, "I guess we're going to have to ask Master Yoda for a new ship."

* * *

"What now," Padme asked. She was piloting the ship now, with Anakin slumped on the chair beside her, barely conscious as a result of his previous duel.

"It's odd," he replied uncertainly. "For the first time in my life I am free. And I don't know what to do with myself.

"Me either. I have no duties or responsibilities anymore," she reflected begrudgingly. "I know that there is nothing left on Naboo for me."

"Then let's leave."

"What of the Trade Federation blockade?"

Anakin mused for a minute before answering vaguely, "Let me take care of it."

She took the ship up through the atmospheres of the planet. The space outside grew darker and colder, and the void was quickly filled dozens of droid fighters cruising towards them.

"Answer their beacon," Anakin instructed. "And hide in the back of the ship until I'm done talking."

Padme did as he said, and the image of a Neimodian appeared in front of Anakin. He sat up straight and did his best impression of a confident and uninjured Jedi Knight.

"Master Jedi, I am Rune Haako, representative of the Trade Federation. What is your purpose in leaving Naboo?"

"I am Jedi Knight Ranakin Skyesolo," Anakin asserted confidently. "I came here several days ago at the behest of the Jedi Council in order to investigate rumors of certain Hutt activities on the planet."

"I was not aware of any Hutt presence on Naboo."

"That is because such rumors are unfounded. I have concluded my investigation and am satisfied with its results. I am going back to Coruscant to report my findings to the Jedi Council."

The Neimoidian seemed to be appeased but was still wary over letting anyone leave the planet, much less a Jedi.

"I do not know whether I can approve of your flight, Master Skyesolo."

"I can assure you, Lord Haako, that the Trade Federation does not concern me or the Jedi. I know we have conflicted in the past, but the evidence on the ground has convinced me that this occupation is completely legal. I promise you, Lord Haako, that the Jedi have no mandate to interfere with domestic issues such as this. There is no harm in letting us leave, Master Haako."

Anakin spoke the last sentence reverently, but subtly emphasized his suggestion with the Force.

"Very well, Master Skyesolo. Proceed as you wish."

His offending image disappeared, and Anakin called Padme back into the cockpit.

"Where should I set the coordinates to, Padme?"

"I don't know. Anywhere, I guess. As far away from Naboo as possible."

"The Capitol, maybe?"

"Farther."

"Very well."

Anakin studied the ship's navigation system. He needed a destination before it could plot a course into hyperspace. Obeying Padme's wishes to the word, he entered in coordinates that would take them to the opposite side of the Galaxy from Naboo, into the deepest parts of the Unknown Regions.

The Jedi Starship raced into lightspeed, and his final chore over, Anakin collapsed, dropping off his seat onto the floor. Padme, who was slumping in her seat from her own exhaustion, flew to Anakin's side in concern.

* * *

"Does it hurt at all?"

She had helped him into the rear quarters of the ship and reclined him onto a table so he could lie down. The bacta kit was not hard to find, and Padme had carefully applied it to all of Anakin's wounds. She finally finished with the crimson line that slashed across his neck.

"I'm fine, Padme. Don't worry."

She sat down awkwardly on a chair beside him, watching over him protectively. They didn't speak for what seemed like hours.

"Did you really mean," Anakin finally asked, "what you said out there? About you needing me?"

Padme sighed and stared at the floor.

"Yes, Anakin. I care about you…very much."

Her words seemed to invigorate him, and despite his wounds and exhaustion he sat up excitedly.

"I do too, Padme. I have loved you so much, for so long. Not a day has gone by when I have not thought of you."

Padme forced herself to raise her eyes and look directly into Anakin's blue eyes.

"I know, Anakin. You've already told me that."

"Do you love me, Padme?"

"Yes…"

It was all he needed. Anakin shut his eyes and leaned forward, his lips anticipating what he knew was going to come.

Instead, they met nothing but air. He sensed that Padme had retreated. The confirmation was there when he reopened his eyes and saw Padme leaning back, away from him.

"But, I thought you said…"

It pained Padme to see his hurt-filled expression. Her hands reached forward and clasped Anakin's reassuringly.

"Anakin, I do love you…and not just because you are all I have left. You are a good boy: loyal, generous, and you have the biggest heart that I have ever known. Obi-Wan was right, Anakin. I feel…I know that I am attached to you, and always will be."

"So why won't you kiss me," Anakin asked. He was comforted by her words, but even more confused now.

Padme laughed at Anakin's obvious lack of subtlety.

"I love you, Anakin. But not in that way. Not romantically. Not yet."

"Why not? Is it because I am too young for you?"

"Yes, Anakin. You are not ready for this yet…"

"But I am…"

"…and neither am I."

Dejected, Anakin turned away. It was his turn to stare at the floor now.

"I understand. I will not bother you anymore. If you wish me to, I will change the course of this ship to Tatooine. You can drop me off there. I will be fine."

"Anakin," Padme protested. She lifted her hand and cupped his chin, forcing him to look at her.

"I don't want you to do that. You are still a boy, but you won't always be. I do not need to be a Jedi to predict that one day you will grow up into a wonderful young man, strong, kind, caring, and handsome as well."

She giggled again, this time at his obvious blush.

"And until then, I will be here for you, every step of the way. You would not be able to get rid of me."

"I would not want to."

"Remember what you said when we first met, all those years ago?"

"That you were an angel?"

It was Padme's turn to blush.

"I remember that. But I'm talking about something else."

Anakin replayed the conversation in his head. He had memorized every word they had exchanged. The only problem was for him to pinpoint exactly what Padme was thinking of.

"Was it…how I would marry you?"

Padme nodded.

"I didn't believe you then, but I do now. More than anything."

Padme rose and planted a kiss on Anakin's forehead. She reached into her dress and pulled out the Japor Snippet that she was still wearing to remind Anakin of her sincerity.

"Give me some time, Anakin, and give yourself some time. That's all I ask. Wait for me, and I will wait for you."

* * *

Epilogue

Obi-Wan knelt before the concerned gazes of the Jedi Council. Among them was Master Adi Gallia, newly equipped with two mechanized legs. He had not spoken to her since returning to the Temple, and he had a feeling neither of them would have much to say to the other.

"Rise, Master Kenobi."

He rose. Directly ahead of him were the two unofficial grand Masters of the Jedi Order, Yoda and Mace Windu.

"Interesting decision you made, on Naboo."

"We did not expect this of you, Master Kenobi," Mace added.

"You know what I did, honorable Masters. Master Gallia herself was present. I stand by my actions."

"Unconventional, they were."

"Master Yoda, I do not believe Anakin is under the control of any Sith. He is a confused boy, who needs to find his own path. I have done all I can do. The rest is up to the Force."

"I agree," said Master Windu, to the surprise of no one in the room except Obi-Wan.

"You do?"

Windu continued. "You are an outstanding Jedi Knight, Master Obi-Wan. Your devotion to our order is unquestionably strong, and your wisdom exceeds your years. Your heart has a connection to the Force that many of the oldest and more experienced Masters lack. You skills and resourcefulness with the lightsaber is not to be forgotten, either."

"But what of my decision to let Anakin go on Naboo?"

To his surprise, Adi Gallia spoke up, without any resentment in her tone.

"I was there along with you, Master Obi-Wan. It was clear to me as well after conversing with Skywalker that you had been correct in your assertion that he has been untainted by the Sith. The dark side, yes, but not the Sith."

"Whatever Skywalker does," Mace said, "is now of his own volition. He is responsible for his actions now, Master Kenobi, not you."

As if Obi-Wan could not be more stunned, Yoda decided to reveal a shocking revelation.

"Noticed, you may have, still the absence of a replacement on the Council for Master Mundi. Dangerous, your attachment was, to young Skywalker. That you had the foresight to recognize it and release it, the Council approves. Demonstrates, this does, your wisdom and your maturity with the Force."

"Master Kenobi," Windu stated officially, "we the Council ask you to sit in the seat the late Master Mundi has vacated."

* * *

He let out a silent roar of frustration, sending ripples of dark energy through the Force. As the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, he was used to having everything go his way. But something had been eluding him in the last few weeks. Someone, more specifically. Skywalker.

This recent turn of events was disturbing. He sensed his prolonged absence from Coruscant, but the Jedi refused to answer any of his inquiries. His meditations had brought him nowhere closer to finding the boy. It was as if he had disappeared altogether from the Galaxy.

His aide interrupted him with a page to his comlink, reminding him that he had an unexpected coronation to attend on his native planet.

* * *

"My fellow Naboo, Honorable Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, I am honored to follow in my family's illustrious footsteps."

The new King of Naboo, formerly its Governor Duu Repsaj, had chosen a different title for himself: King Nobleus the first.

"This is a glorious day, not for myself, but for our planet and our people. Finally, we shall have peace with the Trade Federation. I have labored hard and long so that our two great entities will work with each other, not against each other. With your support and cooperation, I know that the future is bright for our planet and for the Republic!"

* * *

Deep in the mountains of Naboo, an old cobbler scratched his head as he went over his datapads again and again. It simply did not make sense. He barely made a profit the past year, just enough to support himself, his wife, and their three kids. But now, under the new constitution, jointly conceived with the Trade Federation, he was obligated to pay the Neimoidians a hefty tax; a tax that somehow took away every penny he had saved and still asked for more. And somehow, because the tax had resulted on a loss on his income, the law required him to pay a restitution fee to the Federation to, in their words, "amend for the negative influences" he was putting on the economy.

He swore. It was deep into the night now, and his family slept, unaware of the crisis. He wondered where he was going to come up with food for them through the coming winter or the money to satisfy the Federation coffers and their merciless battle droids, seemingly stationed on every corner of the planet.

* * *

They emerged from hyperspace deep within the farthest reaches of the Unknown Regions. Anakin navigated through the uncharted territories for days before finally stumbling onto a star system. As he flew by planet after barren planet, he noticed one that was different from the rest. Even from far away in space he could see the clouds covering parts of it, the oceans and lakes dotting the surface, and the fertile green continents that seemed to serve as a welcoming beacon for them.

He maneuvered the ship down towards the surface. As he emerged under the clouds, Padme gasped as they entered a beautiful, green valley engulfed by magnificent, snow-capped mountains and marked by a gentle river that wound its way in between them. Dotting the land were what appeared to be small houses and settlements.

"The Force brought us here, Padme. I'm confident of that."

He landed the ship, and the two runaways stepped onto the land of their new home.

The End

* * *

To be continued in "The Rogue in War" 


End file.
